Internal Lighting for Refrigerated Display Cabinets

Abstract

Internal lighting for refrigerated display cabinets, chillers, cold rooms or freezers, has rearwardly-directed light assemblies incorporated in the rear faces of the vertical stiles (and/or top and bottom rails) of the door frames of the cabinet doors to illuminate the contents of the cabinets. The light assemblies may be provided in recesses, grooves or channels, and may comprise LED(s), lamps or lighting strips, connected to an electricity supply. Door switches can de-energise the light assemblies when the doors are open.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 ) Internal lighting for a refrigerated display cabinet, including:
 a door for the cabinet, the door having a door frame with a pair of vertical stiles, and optionally having at least one transparent pane mounted in the door frame; and   at least one rearwardly-directed light assembly in, or on, one or both of the vertical stiles;   the, or each, light assembly being connectable to an energy source,   and being operable to illuminate an interior portion of the cabinet when the door is fitted to the cabinet.   
     
     
         2 ) Internal lighting as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the door frame is a perimeter frame, with top and bottom rails interconnecting the vertical stiles; and   at least one additional rearwardly-directed light assembly is mounted.   
     
     
         3 ) Internal lighting as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein:
 the, or each, light assembly is selected from: LED(s), LCD(s), light strips, covered dichroic- or halogen lamps, and/or other suitable lamps or light sources.   
     
     
         4 ) Internal lighting as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein:
 the, or each, light assembly is connected to a door switch, which deenergizes the, or each, light assembly, when the door is opened.   
     
     
         5 ) Internal lighting as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein:
 the, or each, lighting assembly is mounted in a rearwardly-directed recess, groove or channel in a rear face of the respective vertical stile or top rail or bottom rail.   
     
     
         6 ) Internal lighting as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein:
 the, or each, lighting assembly is optionally covered by a transparent panel, or housing, which is optionally coloured and/or has pattern(s) applied thereto to illuminate the contents of the cabinet in selected colour(s) and/or design(s).   
     
     
         7 ) A refrigerated display cabinet having at least one door provided with at least one light assembly to provide internal lighting for the cabinet as claimed in  claim 6 . 
     
     
         8 ) A refrigerated display cabinet including:
 a cabinet body with a cabinet frame;   at least one door hingedly mounted on top and bottom frame members of the cabinet frame, the, or each, door having a door frame with a pair of vertical stiles, and optionally having at least one transparent pane mounted in the door frame; and   at least one rearwardly-directed light assembly in: or on, one or both of the vertical stiles of the, or each, door;   the, or each, light assembly being connectable to an energy source,   and being operable to illuminate an interior portion of the cabinet when the door is in a closed position relative to the cabinet body.   
     
     
         9 ) Internal lighting as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the, or each, light assembly is selected from: LED(s), LCD(s), light strips, covered dichroic- or halogen lamps, and/or other suitable lamps or light sources.   
     
     
         10 ) Internal lighting as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the, or each, light assembly is connected to a door switch, which deenergizes the, or each, light assembly, when the door is opened.   
     
     
         11 ) Internal lighting as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein:
 the, or each, light assembly is connected to a door switch, which deenergizes the, or each, light assembly, when the door is opened.   
     
     
         12 ) Internal lighting as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the, or each, lighting assembly is mounted in a rearwardly-directed recess, groove or channel in a rear face of the respective vertical stile or top rail or bottom rail.   
     
     
         13 ) Internal lighting as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein:
 the, or each, lighting assembly is mounted in a rearwardly-directed recess, groove or channel in a rear face of the respective vertical stile or top rail or bottom rail.   
     
     
         14 ) Internal lighting as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein:
 the, or each, lighting assembly is mounted in a rearwardly-directed recess, groove or channel in a rear face of the respective vertical stile or top rail or bottom rail.   
     
     
         15 ) Internal lighting as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the, or each, lighting assembly is optionally covered by a transparent panel, or housing, which is optionally coloured and/or has pattern(s) applied thereto to illuminate the contents of the cabinet in selected colour(s) and/or design(s).   
     
     
         16 ) Internal lighting as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein:
 the, or each, lighting assembly is optionally covered by a transparent panel, or housing, which is optionally coloured and/or has pattern(s) applied thereto to illuminate the contents of the cabinet in selected colour(s) and/or design(s).   
     
     
         17 ) Internal lighting as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein:
 the, or each, lighting assembly is optionally covered by a transparent panel, or housing, which is optionally coloured and/or has pattern(s) applied thereto to illuminate the contents of the cabinet in selected colour(s) and/or design(s).   
     
     
         18 ) Internal lighting as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein:
 the, or each, lighting assembly is optionally covered by a transparent panel, or housing, which is optionally coloured and/or has pattern(s) applied thereto to illuminate the contents of the cabinet in selected colour(s) and/or design(s).   
     
     
         19 ) A refrigerated display cabinet having at least one door provided with at least one light assembly to provide internal lighting for the cabinet as claimed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         20 ) A refrigerated display cabinet having at least one door provided with at least one light assembly to provide internal lighting for the cabinet as claimed in  claim 2 . 
     
     
         21 ) A refrigerated display cabinet having at least one door provided with at least one light assembly to provide internal lighting for the cabinet as claimed in  claim 3 . 
     
     
         22 ) A refrigerated display cabinet having at least one door provided with at least one light assembly to provide internal lighting for the cabinet as claimed in  claim 4 . 
     
     
         23 ) A refrigerated display cabinet having at least one door provided with at least one light assembly to provide internal lighting for the cabinet as claimed in  claim 5 .