WO2019048042A1

WO2019048042A1 - Refrigerated sales furniture

Info

Publication number: WO2019048042A1
Application number: PCT/EP2017/072446
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sascha Vinz
Original assignee: Carrier Corporation
Priority date: 2017-09-07
Filing date: 2017-09-07
Publication date: 2019-03-14
Also published as: CN111246778A; CN111246778B; EP3678513B1; EP3678513A1

Abstract

Refrigerated sales furniture (2) according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention comprise a furniture body (4); an intermediate support portion (12) for supporting an intermediate portion of the refrigerated sales furniture (2) with respect to ground; the intermediate support portion (12) comprising a vertical rear pillar (16), a lower horizontal beam (18), and an adjustable rear foot (28) disposed at the underside of the vertical pillar (16) or the lower horizontal beam (18); wherein the vertical pillar (16) or the lower horizontal beam (18) and the adjustable rear foot (28) comprise mating threads, engaging with each other; and a height adjustment cord (38) extending through the lower horizontal beam (18), wherein a front end of the height adjustment cord (38) is accessible from an upper side of the lower horizontal beam (18) and a rear end of the height adjustment cord (38) is connected with the adjustable rear foot (28), such that pulling the front end of the height adjustment cord (38) causes screwing the adjustable rear foot (28) out of the thread of the vertical pillar (16) or the lower horizontal beam (18).

Description

Refrigerated Sales Furniture

The present invention relates to refrigerated sales furniture.

Refrigerated sales cabinets having a refrigerated sales space for refrigerated goods to be presented therein are known in the art. In the everyday use of such refrigerated sales furniture, they are filled with many goods to be sold and so the furniture body has to carry a heavy weight of products in addition to the weight of the shelves that are provided in the refrigerated sales space and in addition to the heavy weight of the door frame and the doors. A refrigerated sales cabinet as it is known in the state of the art is disclosed in WO 2015/127996.

It was discovered that the bottom middle parts of refrigerated sales furniture, especially wide and/or fully loaded plug-in refrigerated sales furniture, often sag, which has negative impacts on the outer appearance and on the cooling efficiency, since warm ambient air is more likely to enter into the refrigerated sales space, and which in the worst case can lead to a permanent deformation or even to a damage of the refrigerated sales furniture.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide refrigerated sales furniture wherein a sagging of the intermediate part is reliably prevented and wherein the intermediate part can reliably be kept in the desired horizontal position.

Refrigerated sales furniture according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention comprises a furniture body comprising a refrigerated sales space for storing goods to be presented therein; an intermediate support portion for supporting an intermediate portion of the refrigerated sales furniture body with respect to the ground; the intermediate support portion comprising a vertical rear pillar, a horizontal beam, and an adjustable rear foot located at the underside of the vertical pillar or the horizontal beam; wherein the vertical pillar or the horizontal beam and the adjustable rear foot comprise mating threads, engaging each other; and a height adjustment cord extending through the horizontal beam, wherein the front end of the height adjustment cord is accessible from an upper side of the horizon- tal beam, and the rear end of the height adjustment cord is connected with the adjustable rear foot, such that pulling the front end of the height adjustment cord causes screwing the adjustable rear foot out of the thread of the vertical pillar or the horizontal beam.

Refrigerated sales furniture according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention can be formed as a refrigerated sales cabinet, with the refrigerated sales space being accessible from the front; or as a refrigerated sales island or chest, with the refrigerated sales space being accessible from the top.

It was found out that after assembly of a conventional refrigerated sales furniture comprising an intermediate support portion with a vertical rear pillar with a horizontal beam and with an adjustable rear foot, said adjustable rear foot in many cases does not make contact with the ground, which is unfavourable in terms of the above mentioned sagging of the middle section of the furniture body. Yet, after assembly, the adjustable rear foot is no longer accessible with conventional means, neither from the front or the side nor from the inside of the refrigerated sales furniture, since either the furniture body of the refrigerated sales furniture, particularly its bottom part, or the machine unit space comprising the machine unit support plate and the elements of the vapor compression cycle placed thereon block the access to such adjustable rear foot. Thus the adjustable rear foot cannot be adjusted in order to prevent said sagging.

Accordingly, the present invention provides for a mechanical solution that ensures that the adjustable rear foot can be adjusted after assembly of the refrigerated sales furniture, when the adjustable rear foot is no more accessible with conventional means. By means of the height adjustment cord, the adjustable rear foot can be screwed out conveniently and reliably until it makes firm contact with the ground and the entire refrigerated sales furniture is reliably aligned vertically and/or horizontally. This ensures that the intermediate portion of the refrigerated sales furniture does not sag and has an increased stability in its intermediate portion.

By making the front end of the height adjustment cord accessible from an upper side of the horizontal beam at a position within the refrigerated sales furniture, the outer appearance of the refrigerated sales furniture remains uncompromised. Customers taking out goods from the refrigerated sales furniture will not come into contact or even notice the front end of the height adjustment cord, which is normally not positioned within the refrigerated sales space, but thereunder. Thereby it is reliably avoided that the front end of the height adjustment cord gets damaged or gets inadvertently moved to another maybe hidden position where it might be no more accessible.

While all refrigerated sales furniture having an intermediate support portion comprising a vertical rear pillar, a horizontal beam and an adjustable rear foot benefit from the advantages of the exemplary embodiments of the invention described herein, particularly wide and/or fully-stocked and/or plug-in refrigerated sales furniture benefit from the increased stability and the reliable avoidance of the sagging of the intermediate portion.

The furniture body can comprise a refrigerated sales space for storing goods to be presented therein.

According to a first embodiment, pulling the front end of the height adjustment cord causes screwing the adjustable rear foot out of the thread of the vertical pillar or the horizontal beam, until the underside of the adjustable rear foot makes full contact with the ground.

According to a further embodiment, the intermediate support portion extends from a front position of the refrigerated sales furniture to a rear position lying in or adjacent to the vertical rear plane of the refrigerated sales furniture.

Such intermediate support portion extends over almost the entire depth of the refrigerated sales furniture.

According to a further embodiment, refrigerated sales furniture further comprise a machine unit space positioned below the refrigerated sales space and separated from the refrigerated sales space by a refrigerated sales space bottom plate. The machine unit space can be enclosed laterally by side walls, the undersides of which are for supporting the refrigerated sales furniture against the ground. A machine unit support plate can be provided forming the underside of the machine unit space; the machine unit support plate extending between a left outermost position adjacent the left side wall and the intermediate support portion or between a right outermost position adjacent the right side wall and the intermediate support portion. The machine unit support plate can be movable between a slid-in position and a drawn-out service position.

Refrigerated sales furniture comprising a machine unit on the machine unit support plate within the machine unit space is/are also called plug-in refrigerated sales furniture.

It was found out that after assembly of a refrigerated sales furniture comprising such machine unit space and such movable machine unit support plate(s), the adjustable rear foot is inaccessible, since it is blocked from the front by the machine unit on the machine unit support plate and by the refrigerated sales space, and from the sides by the side walls.

In addition, the refrigerated sales space of refrigerated sales furniture as they are produced these days, is often maximised and therefore the machine unit space is kept as small as possible while minimising the gaps to the floor, to the refrigerated sales space, and to the side walls. Such gaps are too small to provide access to the adjustable rear foot with conventional means.

The present embodiment provides an effective solution for reliably adjusting such inaccessible adjustable rear foot, despite these circumstances.

According to a further embodiment, the refrigerated sales furniture comprises a machine unit on the machine unit support plate, and the machine unit comprises at least a compressor unit and a condenser. The provision of such machine unit and such machine unit support plate adds to the total weight of the refrigerated sales furniture. Such plug-in refrigerated sales furniture benefit in particular from the increased stability and avoidance of the sagging of the intermediate portion that the invention provides.

According to a further embodiment, the front end of the height adjustment cord is accessible from a position within the machine unit space at the upper side of the horizontal beam, when the machine unit support plate has been moved to its drawn-out service position or to an intermediate position between the slid-in position and the drawn-out service position. This provides for a relatively easy and reliable access to the front end of the height adjustment cord, while at the same time avoiding unauthorised access, since the machine unit support plate may only be moved out to its drawn-out service position by authorised personnel and not by customers.

The machine unit support plate can be movable between a slid-in position, in which the front end of the machine unit support plate is positioned within or behind a front plane of the refrigerated sales furniture, and a drawn-out service position, in which the front end of the machine unit support plate is positioned before the front plane of the refrigerated sales furniture.

According to a further embodiment, rollers are provided at the horizontal beam of the intermediate support portion, for allowing the machine unit support plate to be moved between the slid-in position and the drawn-out service position with reduced friction.

According to a further embodiment, corresponding rails, particularly telescopic drawing rails, are provided laterally at the machine unit support plate.

In these embodiments, the machine unit support plate is movable, particularly in a drawer-like fashion, using rollers and telescopic drawing rails.

According to a further embodiment, the underside of the machine unit support plate is spaced apart from the ground on which the refrigerated sales furniture rests by 10 to 20 mm. Through such small gap, no conventional means for adjusting the adjustable rear foot can be inserted.

According to a further embodiment, the horizontal beam of the intermediate support portion has a rectangular cross-section. The horizontal beam of the intermediate support portion can comprise a hollow space enclosed by upper, left, and right plates and, optionally, by a lower plate.

According to a further embodiment, a lower height adjustment cord opening is formed within the lower plate of the horizontal beam of the intermediate support portion. As an alternative, the horizontal beam can be formed without lower plate such that the open underside of the horizontal beam forms a lower height adjustment cord opening. According to a further embodiment, an upper height adjustment cord opening is formed within the upper plate of the horizontal beam of the intermediate support portion.

According to a further embodiment, the height adjustment cord extends through the lower height adjustment cord opening, through the hollow space, and through the upper height adjustment cord opening of the horizontal beam of the intermediate support portion.

By guiding the height adjustment cord through the lower height adjustment cord opening, through the hollow space, and through the upper height adjustment cord opening no additional space is needed for the provision of height adjustment cord. Thus, the available space for the machine unit and for the refrigerated sales space is not compromised.

According to a further embodiment, the lower height adjustment cord opening is positioned behind the upper height adjustment cord opening, such that the height adjustment cord extends, seen from its rear to its front end, in and upward and forward direction. By such inclined pathway of the height adjustment cord, an advantageous transmission of the pulling force from the front end to the rear end of the height adjustment cord and a reliable operation of the same is ensured.

According to a further embodiment, at least one height adjustment cord guiding roller is provided at least one of the lower and upper height adjustment cord openings.

According to a further embodiment, at least one height adjustment cord guiding roller is placed inside the horizontal beam of the intermediate support portion.

According to a further embodiment, at least one height adjustment cord guiding roller extends over almost the entire width of the respective lower and upper height adjustment cord opening and is mounted to the left and right plates of the horizontal beam of the intermediate support portion by means of mounting brackets.

By such height adjustment cord guiding rollers, a convenient pulling operation of the height adjustment cord is ensured and frictional losses are minimised. According to a further embodiment, at least one height adjustment cord edge protection element, particularly of rounded shape is provided at least one of the lower and upper height adjustment cord openings.

By providing such height adjustment cord edge protection element inadvertent cutting or damaging of the height adjustment cord is reliably prevented.

According to a further embodiment, the vertical pillar or the horizontal beam has an internal thread and the adjustable rear foot has an externally-threaded pin extending upward from the adjustable rear foot, and the externally-threaded pin is configured to engage with the internal thread of the vertical pillar or the horizontal beam. This embodiment is easy to manufacture and at the same time provides for a reliable mechanism to screw out the adjustable rear foot.

According to a further embodiment, the rear end of the height adjustment cord is connected with the adjustable rear foot, and a part of its rear end is wound around the adjustable rear foot in the direction in which the adjustable rear foot is screwed out. This embodiment contributes to an easy manufacture and to a reliable pulling and screwing-out operation.

According to a further embodiment, a handle is provided at the front end of the height adjustment cord, the cross section of the handle being larger than the upper height adjustment cord opening.

According to a further embodiment, the height adjustment cord is formed as a thin rope made of multiple yarns, plies, fibres or strands that are twisted or braided together. Particularly the yarns, plies, fibres or strands are of natural or synthetic material.

According to a further embodiment, it is sufficient that the height adjustment cord and the adjustable rear foot are configured for pulling and screwing-out the adjustable rear foot. It was found out that the main issue associated with the adjustable rear foot when assembling refrigerated sales furniture is that they do not make contact with the ground. A pushing and screwing-in operation is not necessary, and therefore, the height adjustment cord is typically not made of a metal or of a stiff plastics material, but rather of a flexible rope material. A method for adjusting the adjustable rear foot of refrigerated sales furniture as described herein, comprises a step of pulling the front end of the height adjustment cord from a position an upper side of the horizontal beam and thereby causing the adjustable rear foot to screw out of the thread of the vertical pillar or the horizontal beam, particularly until the underside of the adjustable rear foot rests on the ground.

The advantages and embodiments for the refrigerated sales furniture, as explained herein, also apply to such method. They are not repeated here for brevity.

According to a first embodiment, such method further comprises the step of moving the machine unit support plate to its drawn-out service position or to an intermediate position between the slid-in position and the drawn-out service position.

According to a further embodiment, such method further comprises the step of pulling the front end of the height adjustment cord from a position within the machine unit space at the upper side of the horizontal beam.

Embodiments of the invention are described in greater detail below with reference to the Figures, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a schematic side view of a refrigerated sales cabinet with a refrigerated sales space and a machine unit space positioned below the refrigerated sales space and separated therefrom by a refrigerated sales space bottom plate, wherein for illustration purposes the left side wall is omitted;

Figure 2 shows an enlarged perspective view of an intermediate portion of the machine unit space of the refrigerated sales cabinet of Figure 1 , with two laterally adjacent machine unit support plates in their slid-in position;

Figure 3 shows an enlarged perspective view of a rear portion of an intermediate support portion of the refrigerated sales cabinet of Figure 1 comprising a horizontal beam, a vertical rear pillar, an adjustable rear foot and a height adjustment cord handle; Figure 4 shows an enlarged perspective view of the intermediate support portion of Figure 3 wherein the right plate has been taken off the horizontal beam, such that the hollow space within the horizontal beam is visible and particularly the height adjustment cord can well be seen; and

Figure 5 shows a front view of a lower middle portion of the machine unit space of Figure 2, with their machine unit support plates positioned in their slid-in positions.

The figures and the following discussion describe preferred embodiments of the invention. In order to teach the principle of the invention, several conventional aspects have been simplified or omitted. Those skilled in the art should understand that the invention is not limited to the following preferred embodiments and is merely defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Although the embodiments of Figs. 1 - 5 show a refrigerated sales cabinet providing access to the goods presented therein from the front, an intermediate support portion comprising a vertical rear pillar, a horizontal beam, particularly a lower horizontal beam, and an adjustable rear foot comprising a height adjustment cord, as described with respect to the following embodiments can also be realised in a refrigerated sales chest or island providing access to the goods stored therein through a top or upper side.

Figure 1 shows a schematic side view of a refrigerated sales furniture 2 with a refrigerated sales space 6 and a machine unit space 8 positioned below the refrigerated sales space 8 and separated therefrom by a refrigerated sales space bottom plate 10, wherein for illustration purposes the left side wall is omitted.

The refrigerated sales furniture 2 has a furniture body 4 defining, from top to bottom, a refrigerated sales space 6 and a machine unit space 8.

The refrigerated sales furniture 2 is a refrigerated sales cabinet with a refrigerated sales space 6 for storing goods to be presented therein, whereas the refrigerated sales space 6 is accessible from the front through at least one optional door provided at the front. Other refrigerated sales furniture that benefit from the present invention are refrigerated sales chests or islands, the refrigerated sales space of which are accessible from the top. Within the refrigerated sales space 6, there is arranged an evaporator, a fan (both not shown), a number of shelves to support goods presented therein and conventional air guiding channels, and other elements that do not need to be explained further here.

Below the refrigerated sales space 6 there is the machine unit space 8 which is separated from the refrigerated sales space 6 by a refrigerated sales space bottom plate 10. The refrigerated sales space bottom plate 10 has a higher substantially horizontally extending front portion, and a lower, also substantially horizontally extending rear portion with a transition portion in between. The transition portion, the substantially horizontally extending rear portion and the lower portion of the rear wall together form a space, where typically an evaporator and a fan for cooling a return airflow and for supplying the cooled airflow back to the refrigerated sales space 6 are arranged. This refrigerated sales space bottom plate 10 also forms the ceiling of the machine unit space 8 which is arranged in the bottom portion of the refrigerated sales cabinet 2, and which will be explained in more detail with respect to Figures 2 to 5.

Figure 2 shows an enlarged perspective view of an intermediate portion of the machine unit space 8 of the refrigerated sales cabinet 2, with two laterally adjacent machine unit support plates 20 in the slid-in position.

The refrigerated sales cabinet 2 is configured as a so-called plug-in refrigerated sales furniture, wherein a compressor and a condenser (not shown) are provided within the machine unit space 8, and are connected by suitable conduits with the expansion device and the evaporator located within the refrigerated sales space (not shown).

The machine unit space 8 is bordered laterally by left and right side walls (not shown).

In the present embodiment, the refrigerated sales cabinet comprises an intermediate support portion 12 for supporting an intermediate portion of the refrigerated sales cabinet 2 with respect to the ground.

The intermediate support portion 12 comprises a vertical front pillar 14, a vertical rear pillar 16, a horizontal beam 18 extending between the lower ends of the verti- cal front pillar 14 and the vertical rear pillar 16, and adjustable front and rear feet (not shown in Figure 2), which are located at the undersides of the respective vertical front and rear pillars 14 and 16, and which comprise threads that are configured to engage with respective mating threads provided within the vertical front and rear pillars 14 and 16.

The adjustable rear foot 28 can comprise a pin extending upward from the adjustable rear foot 28 with an external mating thread. Likewise, the vertical rear pillar 16 can have an internal mating thread provided at its lower end such that the pin and vertical pillar engage.

The refrigerated sales space bottom plate 10 which separates the machine unit space 8 from the refrigerated sales space 6, can also be seen in Figure 2.

The width of the machine unit space 8 is sub-divided into two-part by the intermediate support portion 2. A left machine unit support plate 20 is arranged in the left part thereof, between the left side wall (not shown) and the intermediate support portion 12. Likewise, a right machine unit support plate 20 is arranged in the right part thereof, between the intermediate support portion 12 and the right side wall (not shown).

Other embodiments relate to refrigerated sales furniture with two or more intermediate support portions and three or more machine unit support plates, respectively. In such embodiments, the leftmost machine unit support plate is arranged between the left wall and the leftmost intermediate support portion, the right machine plate is arranged between the right side wall and the rightmost intermediate support portion, and further machine unit support plates are arranged between respectively adjacent intermediate support portions.

At least one of the machine unit support plates 12 is movable, in a drawer-like fashion, using rollers 22 and telescopic drawing rails so as to be movable between a slid-in position as depicted in Figures 2-5 and a drawn-out service position (not shown).

In Figure 2, two upper rollers 22 provided at the right plate 24 of the horizontal beam 18 are depicted. In Figure 3, an upper roller 22 and a lower roller 22 provid- ed at the right plate 34 of the horizontal beam 18 and a guiding bracket preventing a tilting of the machine unit support plate 20 are depicted.

The machine unit support plates 20 are formed in a drawer-like fashion with respective substantially horizontal bottom plates, with respective substantially vertical side and rear plates and with respective substantially vertical machine unit support plate front faces 50, on which substantially vertical cover plates are to be mounted, which are omitted in the Figures 2 and 5 such that the interior space of the machine unit space 8 can be seen.

In the slid-in position, the machine unit support plate front faces 50 are positioned within or behind a vertical front plane of the refrigerated sales cabinet 2, and, likewise, the rear plates of the machine unit support plate 20 are positioned within or in front of the vertical rear plane of the refrigerated sales cabinet 2.

In the drawn-out service position, the machine unit support plate front faces 50 of the machine unit support plates 20 are positioned before such vertical front plane, and the rear plates of the machine unit support plates 20 are positioned before such vertical rear plane.

The horizontal beam 18 extending between the lower ends of the vertical front and rear pillars 14 and 16 is composed of an upper plate 30, a left plate 32 (see Figure 4), optionally a bottom plate 36 (see Figure 3), and a right plate, enclosing the hollow interior space (see Figure 4).

Elements of a vapor compression cycle, particularly a compressor and a condenser are placed on the machine unit support plate(s) 20 (not shown).

One can well imagine that the adjustable rear foot 28 can no longer be adjusted with conventional means once the refrigerated sales cabinet 2 is assembled, since the machine unit space 8 comprising the machine unit support plate 20 and the elements of the vapor compression cycle placed thereon block the access to such adjustable rear foot 28.

In order to solve this problem, a height adjustment cord 38 (see Figure 4) is provided, which is connected with its rear end to the adjustable rear foot 28 (see Figure 3), and with its front end to the height adjustment cord handle 24 positioned within the machine unit space 8 above the upper plate 30 of the horizontal beam 18.

Such height adjustment cord 38 extends through a lower height adjustment cord opening 40 positioned within a bottom plate 36 of the horizontal beam 18 or formed by the open underside of the horizontal beam 18, through the hollow space within the horizontal beam 18, and through an upper height adjustment cord opening 26.

Figure 3 shows an enlarged perspective view of a rear portion of an intermediate support portion 12 of the refrigerated sales cabinet 2, comprising a horizontal beam 18, a vertical rear pillar 16, an adjustable rear foot 28 and a height adjustment cord handle 38.

In Figure 3, the intermediate support portion 12 is shown without the machine unit support plate 20 which is normally arranged of the right of the same, such that the adjustable rear foot 28 and part of the height adjustment cord 38 which is connected to the adjustable rear foot 28 can well be seen.

Figure 4 shows an enlarged perspective view of the intermediate support portion 2 wherein the right plate has been taken off the horizontal beam 8, such that the hollow space within the horizontal beam 18 is visible and particularly the height adjustment cord 38 can well be seen

In Figure 4, the pathway of the height adjustment cord 38 through the lower height adjustment cord opening 40, which is formed within the bottom plate 36 or as the open underside of the horizontal beam 18, through the hollow space within the horizontal beam 18, and through the upper height adjustment cord opening 26 to the height adjustment cord handle 24 can well be seen.

It can also be seen that the lower height adjustment cord opening 40 is positioned behind the upper height adjustment cord opening 26.

A lower height adjustment cord roller 42 is provided within the hollow space of the horizontal beam 18 close to the lower height adjustment cord opening 40. Likewise, an upper height adjustment cord roller 44 is arranged within the hollow space of the horizontal beam 18 close to the upper height adjustment cord open- ing 26. The upper and lower height adjustment cord rollers 44 and 42 are mounted to the horizontal beam 18 by mounting brackets 46. Rounded edge protection elements 48 are provided at the upper and lower height adjustment cord openings 26 and 40. The edge protection elements 48 can be formed by bent side portions of the mounting brackets 46 protruding through the lower and upper height adjustment cord openings 40, 26, by rounded edges of said height adjustment cord openings 26, 40, or by rounded edge protection opening inserts. The lower and upper height adjustment cord rollers 42, 44 and the edge protection elements 48 provide for a convenient guiding of the height adjustment cord 38 through the lower and upper height adjustment cord openings 26 and 40 and through the hollow space of the horizontal beam 18 and avoid an undesired cutting or wear of the adjustment cord 38 caused by chafing of the cord and/or by friction.

The rear end of the height adjustment cord 38 is connected with the adjustable rear foot 28. A part of the rear end of the height adjustment cord is wound around the rear foot 28 in the direction in which the adjustable rear foot 28 is screwed out.

The cross-section of the height adjustment cord handle 24 is larger than the upper height adjustment cord opening 40 such that the height adjustment cord handle 24 cannot fall into the hollow space of the horizontal beam 18.

Figure 5 shows a front view of a lower middle portion of the machine unit space 8 of the refrigerated sales cabinet 2, with the machine unit support plates 20 positioned in their slid-in positions.

In Figure 5, the innermost portions of the machine unit support plate front faces 50 of the two adjacent machine unit support plates 20 are shown to abut against the vertical front pillar 14. Furthermore, the adjustable front foot 52 can be seen. It covers the adjustable rear foot 28 which has the same shape and size. The ground clearance gc of the lowermost portion of the refrigerated sales cabinet 2, namely the undersides of the machine unit support plates 20 over the ground 54 is depicted with the reference numeral gc. Such ground clearance gc normally is between 10 and 20 mm.

Hereinafter, a method for adjusting the adjustable rear foot 28 of a refrigerated sales cabinet 2 is explained. First of all, the refrigerated sales cabinet 2 is assembled with the side walls and the adjustable front foot 52 of the intermediate support portion(s) 12 resting on the ground, and with the adjustment rear foot 28 which is in its screwed-in position being positioned at a distance from the ground.

After the machine unit support plates 20 have been equipped with the elements of the vapor compression cycle, like the compressor and the condenser, the adjustable rear foot 28 normally still does not make contact with the ground.

Then at least one of the machine unit support plates 20 is moved out to its drawn- out service position or to an intermediate position between the slid-in position and the drawn-outsource position.

Subsequently the height adjustment cord handle 24 which is pulled from a position within the machine unit space 8 at the upper side of the horizontal beam 18, which causes the adjustable rear foot 28 to screw out of the vertical rear pillar 16.

The height adjustment cord handle 24 is pulled out that far until the underside of the adjustable rear foot 28 makes contact the ground.

By such method for adjusting the adjustable rear foot of the refrigerated sales furniture, the stability is increased, a sagging of the intermediate portion thereof is reliably avoided and it is ensured that the refrigeration elements of the vapor compression cycle do not hang or float in the air but are reliably supported with respect to the ground. Thus, firm contact with the ground is ensured.

While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the claims. In addition, modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. List of Reference Numerals

2 refrigerated sales cabinet

4 furniture body

6 refrigerated sales space

8 machine unit space

10 refrigerated sales space bottom plate

12 intermediate support portion

14 vertical front pillar

16 vertical rear pillar

18 horizontal beam

20 machine unit support plate

22 guiding rollers

24 height adjustment cord handle

26 upper height adjustment cord opening

28 adjustable rear foot

30 upper plate

32 left plate

34 right plate

36 bottom plate

38 height adjustment cord

40 lower height adjustment cord opening

42 lower height adjustment cord roller

44 upper height adjustment cord roller

46 mounting brackets

48 edge protection elements

50 machine unit support plate front faces

52 adjustable front foot

54 ground

gc ground clearance

Claims

1 . Refrigerated sales furniture (2), comprising:

a furniture body (4);

an intermediate support portion (12) for supporting an intermediate portion of the refrigerated sales furniture (2) with respect to the ground;

the intermediate support portion (12) comprising a vertical rear pillar (16), a horizontal beam (18), and an adjustable rear foot (28) located at the underside of the vertical rear pillar (16) or the horizontal beam (18);

wherein the vertical rear pillar (16) or the horizontal beam (18) and the adjustable rear foot (28) comprise mating threads, engaging with each other; and

a height adjustment cord (38) extending through the horizontal beam (18), wherein a front end of the height adjustment cord (38) is accessible from an upper side of the horizontal beam (18) and a rear end of the height adjustment cord (38) is connected with the adjustable rear foot (28), such that pulling the front end of the height adjustment cord (38) causes screwing the adjustable rear foot (28) out of the thread of the vertical rear (16) pillar or the horizontal beam (18).

2. Refrigerated sales furniture (2) according to claim 1 ,

wherein pulling the front end of the height adjustment cord (38) causes screwing the adjustable rear foot (28) out of the thread of the vertical rear pillar ( 6) or the horizontal beam (18), until the underside of the adjustable rear foot (28) rests on the ground.

3. Refrigerated sales furniture (2) according to claims 1 or 2,

wherein the intermediate support portion (12) extends from a front position of the refrigerated sales furniture (2) to a rear position lying in or adjacent to the vertical rear plane of the refrigerated sales furniture (2).

4. Refrigerated sales furniture (2) according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a machine unit space (8) positioned below the refrigerated sales space (6) and separated from the refrigerated sales space (6) by a refrigerated sales space bottom plate (10);

the machine unit space (8) being enclosed laterally by side walls, the undersides of which are for supporting the refrigerated sales furniture (2) against the ground;

wherein a machine unit support plate (20) is provided forming the underside of the machine unit space (8);

the machine unit support plate (20) extending between a left outermost position adjacent the left side wall and the intermediate support portion (12) or between a right outermost position adjacent the right side wall and the intermediate support portion (12);

the machine unit support plate (20) being movable between a slid-in position and a drawn-out service position.

5. Refrigerated sales furniture (2) according to claim 4,

further comprising a machine unit on the machine unit support plate (20), the machine unit comprising at least a compressor unit and a condenser.

6. Refrigerated sales furniture (2) according to claims 4 or 5, wherein the front end of the height adjustment cord (38) is accessible from a position within the machine unit space (8) at the upper side of the horizontal beam (18), when the machine unit support plate (20) has been moved to its drawn-out service position or to an intermediate position between the slid-in position and the drawn-out service position.

7. Refrigerated sales furniture (2) according to any of claims 4 to 6, further comprising

rollers (22) which are provided at the horizontal beam (18) of the intermediate support portion (12), for guiding the machine unit support plate (20) between the slid-in position and the drawn-out service position; and/or

wherein corresponding rails, particularly telescopic drawing rails, are provided laterally at the machine unit support plate (20).

8. Refrigerated sales furniture (2) according to any of claims 4 to 7, wherein the machine unit support plate (20) has a substantially vertical front cover lying, in the slid-in position of the machine unit support plate, in the front plane of the refrigerated sales furniture (2).

9. Refrigerated sales furniture (2) according to any of claims 4 to 8,

wherein the underside of the machine unit support plate (20) is spaced apart from the plane of the ground on which the refrigerated sales furniture (2) rests by 10 to 20 mm.

10. Refrigerated sales furniture (2) according to any of the preceding claims,

wherein the horizontal beam (18) of the intermediate support portion (12) has a rectangular cross-section; and/or

wherein the horizontal beam (18) of the intermediate support portion (12) comprises a hollow space enclosed by upper, left, and right plates (30, 32, 34) and, optionally, by a lower plate (36).

1 1 . Refrigerated sales furniture (2) according to claim 10,

wherein a lower height adjustment cord opening (40) is formed within the lower plate (36) of the horizontal beam (18) of the intermediate support portion (12); wherein an upper height adjustment cord opening (26) is formed within the upper plate (30) of the horizontal beam (18) of the intermediate support portion (12); and

wherein the height adjustment cord (38) extends through the lower height adjustment cord opening (40), through the hollow space, and through the upper height adjustment cord opening (26) of the horizontal beam (18) of the intermediate support portion (12).

12. Refrigerated sales furniture (2) according to claim 1 1 ,

wherein the lower height adjustment cord opening (40) is positioned behind the upper height adjustment cord opening (26), such that the height adjustment cord (38) extends, seen from its rear to its front end, upwardly and forwardly.

13. Refrigerated sales furniture (2) according to any of claims 1 1 or 12,

wherein at least one height adjustment cord guiding roller (42, 44) is provided at at least one of the lower and upper height adjustment cord openings (40, 26); and/or wherein at least one height adjustment cord guiding roller (42, 44) is placed within the hollow space of the horizontal beam (18) of the intermediate support portion (12); and/or

wherein at least one height adjustment cord guiding roller (42, 44) extends over almost the entire width of the respective lower and upper height adjustment cord opening (40, 26) and is mounted to the left and right plates of the horizontal beam (18) of the intermediate support portion (12) by means of mounting brackets (46).

14. Refrigerated sales furniture (2) according to any of claims 1 1 to 13,

wherein at least one height adjustment cord edge protection element (48), particularly of rounded shape is provided at at least one of the lower and upper height adjustment cord openings (40, 26).

15. Refrigerated sales furniture (2) according to any of the preceding claims,

wherein the vertical rear pillar (16) or the horizontal beam ( 8) has an internal mating thread provided at its lower end and the adjustable rear foot (28) has a pin extending upwardly from the adjustable rear foot (28) with an external mating thread, the internal and external-mating threads engaging with each other.

16. Refrigerated sales furniture (2) according to any of the preceding claims,

wherein the height adjustment cord (38) is connected with the adjustable rear foot (28) and partially wound around the adjustable rear foot (28) in the direction in which the adjustable rear foot (28) is screwed out.

17. Refrigerated sales furniture (2) according to any of the preceding claims,

wherein a handle (24) is provided at the front end of the height adjustment cord (38), the cross section of the handle (24) being larger than the upper height adjustment cord opening (26).

18. Method for adjusting the adjustable rear foot (28) of refrigerated sales furniture (2) of any of the preceding claims, comprising the step of:

pulling the front end of the height adjustment cord (38) from a position an upper side of the horizontal beam (18) and thereby causing the adjustable rear foot (28) to screw out of the thread of the vertical rear pillar (16) or the horizontal beam (18), particularly until the underside of the adjustable rear foot (28) rests on the ground.

19. Method of claim 18,

further comprising the step of moving the machine unit support plate (20) to its drawn-out service position or to an intermediate position between the slid-in posi- tion and the drawn-out service position; and/or

wherein the front end of the height adjustment cord (38) is pulled from a position within the machine unit space (8) at the upper side of the horizontal beam (18).