Refrigerated showcase

Abstract

A refrigerated showcase of which the slide doors can be automatically opened and closed without producing much noise which is annoying to both cooks and diners. The showcase includes a showcase body having a work side through which a cook can access the interior of the showcase by opening slide doors, and a transparent display side. The slide doors are opened and closed by two electric motors arranged one over the other through cables which are supported by a pair of independent sheaves rotatably mounted on a common shaft. Each cable is coupled to one of the slide doors through a coupling arrangement including a cushioning member such as a pair of springs.

1 . A refrigerated showcase comprising a showcase body having a work side and a display side through which the interior of said showcase body can be seen and including a pair of guides provided on said work side, a pair of double slide doors each received in one of said guides so as to be slidable along the guide, a pair of cables each supported by a sheave and movable along one of said guides, a drive unit for driving said cables, and a pair of coupling arrangements each for coupling one of said cables to the corresponding slide door, said coupling arrangements each including a cushioning member for absorbing any shock when said slide doors begin to move or come to a stop.  
   
   
       2 . The refrigerated showcase of  claim 1  wherein each of said cables has two ends, said coupling arrangements each comprising a rod member received in one of said guides and formed with a recess, a protrusion formed on one of said slide doors along a top edge thereof and received in said recess, and springs each having one end thereof coupled to one end of said rod member and the other end thereof coupled to one of said two ends of one of said cables, said springs serving as said cushioning member.  
   
   
       3 . The refrigerated showcase of  claim 1  wherein each of said cables has two ends, said coupling arrangement each comprising a rod member received in one of said guides and formed with a protrusion, a recess formed in one of said slide doors along a top edge thereof and receiving said protrusion, and springs each having one end thereof coupled to one end of said rod member and the other end thereof coupled to one of said two ends of one of said cable, said springs serving as said cushioning member.  
   
   
       4 . The refrigerated showcase of  claim 2  wherein said rod member further includes a small plate member having a width substantially equal to the width of said protrusion and said recess and arranged so as to overlap with and conceal said protrusion and said recess when viewed from the work side of said showcase body, said small plate member having its bottom end protruding from bottom ends of said guides.  
   
   
       5 . The refrigerated showcase of  claim 3  wherein said rod member further includes a small plate member having a width substantially equal to the width of said protrusion and said recess and arranged so as to overlap with and conceal said protrusion and said recess when viewed from the work side of said showcase body, said small plate member having its bottom end protruding from bottom ends of said guides.  
   
   
       6 . The refrigerated showcase of  claim 1  wherein said cables are endless members, said coupling arrangements each comprising a protrusion formed on one of said slide doors along a top edge thereof and formed with a groove through which one of said cables extends, a pair of retainer pieces fixed to said one of said cables on either side of said protrusion, separate from respective ends of said protrusion, and springs each disposed between one of said retainer pieces and said protrusion, said springs serving as said cushioning member.  
   
   
       7 . The refrigerated showcase of  claim 1  wherein said cables are endless members, and wherein said slide doors are each formed with a groove extending the entire top edge thereof and a cutout along the top edge thereof so as to interrupt said groove, one of said cables extending through said groove and said cutout, said coupling arrangements each comprising a retainer piece received in said cutout and fixed to said one of said cables, and springs each disposed between one of two end walls of said cutout and said retainer piece, said springs serving as said cushioning member.  
   
   
       8 . The refrigerated showcase of  claim 1  wherein said cables are endless members, said coupling arrangements each comprising a protrusion formed on one of said slide doors along a top edge thereof and formed with a groove through which one of said cables extends, a pair of retainer pieces fixed to said one of said cables on either side of said protrusion, separate from respective ends of said protrusion, and a pair of bellows tubes or sponge tubes each disposed between one of said retainer pieces and said protrusion, said bellows tubes or sponge tubes serving as said cushioning member.  
   
   
       9 . The refrigerated showcase of  claim 1  wherein said cables are endless members, and wherein said slide doors are each formed with a groove extending the entire top edge thereof and a cutout along the top edge thereof so as to interrupt said groove, one of said cables extending through said groove and said cutout, said coupling arrangements each comprising a retainer piece received in said cutout and fixed to said one of said cables, and a pair of bellows tubes or sponge tubes each disposed between one of two end walls of said cutout and said retainer piece, said bellows tubes or sponge tubes serving as said cushioning member.  
   
   
       10 . The refrigerated showcase of  claim 1  wherein said drive unit comprises two electric motors each for driving one of said cables, said motors being arranged one over the other, said sheaves supporting said respective cables are mounted on a common shaft so as to be rotatable relative to said shaft and independently of each other.