JP7506510B2 - Showcase - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a showcase.

Conventionally, there are known showcases that store foods, beverages, and the like in a hot, refrigerated, or frozen state while allowing them to be viewed from the outside, and one example of such showcases is described in Patent Document 1. The showcase described in Patent Document 1 has a pair of sliding doors that can be slid open and closed at the opening of the showcase body, and side frames are arranged on the left and right of the opening. A seal structure is provided between the door tip of each sliding door and each side frame. The seal structure includes a fitting recess provided at the door tip of the sliding door and a fitting protrusion provided at the side frame. When the sliding door is closed, the fitting recess and the fitting protrusion fit together, and the fitting protrusion is in close contact with a packing arranged inside the fitting recess, thereby sealing the gap between the door tip of the sliding door and the side frame. This prevents cold air from leaking from the gap inside the showcase body to the outside when the sliding door is closed.

Patent No. 6478659

According to the sealing structure described in Patent Document 1, the gasket in the mating recess of the sliding door comes into close contact with the mating convex portion of the side frame every time the sliding door is closed. For this reason, when the gasket wears out due to repeated use (opening and closing the door), the sealing performance is actually reduced. Also, in order to prevent the sealing performance from decreasing, it is necessary to take the trouble of replacing the deteriorated gasket.

The technology described in this specification was developed based on the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to prevent deterioration of sliding door components through use.

The showcase related to the technology described in this specification comprises an insulated box having a storage chamber and an opening for putting a cooled object in and taking it out of the storage chamber, and a sliding door arranged to move in a sliding direction to open and close the opening, the opening edge of the insulated box constituting the opening has a groove into which the end of the sliding door in the sliding direction can be inserted, and among the groove walls constituting the groove and extending along the sliding direction, a first groove wall located at a position furthest from the storage chamber in the thickness direction of the sliding door has a protrusion protruding toward the storage chamber, and the protrusion protrudes so as to create a clearance space between the sliding door and the opening when the sliding door is in a closed position covering the entire opening.

In this way, when the sliding door is in the closed position, the width of the cold air flow path between the sliding door and the opening edge can be narrowed by inserting the end of the sliding door into the groove of the opening edge. Also, by providing a protrusion that protrudes toward the storage compartment on the first groove wall that constitutes the groove, a narrowed portion (clearance space) is formed in the cold air flow path, which reduces the flow of cold air and makes it easier to ensure insulation. On the other hand, when the sliding door is in the closed position, a clearance space is created between the protrusion and the sliding door, making it easier to avoid contact between the opening edge and the sliding door each time the sliding door is closed. As a result, it becomes possible to suppress deterioration of the components of the sliding door due to contact even with repeated use.

In addition, an intermediate wall that extends to face the first groove wall is provided on the bottom wall that constitutes the groove and runs along the thickness direction of the sliding door, and the end of the sliding door has a groove-shaped receiving portion into which the intermediate wall is inserted when the sliding door is in the closed position. In this way, when the sliding door is in the closed position, the intermediate wall provided in the groove of the opening edge is inserted into the receiving portion of the sliding door, and the flow path of the cold air between the sliding door and the opening edge can be made serpentine. This increases the flow resistance of the cold air, reducing the amount of cold air that leaks to the outside, improving insulation.

The protrusion also has a mountain-shaped cross section. In this way, the slope of the mountain-shaped cross section of the protrusion creates a wedge-shaped cross-section space between the sliding door and the protrusion. When condensation occurs on the protrusion, the condensed water tends to accumulate in the wedge-shaped cross-section space, and when the accumulated condensed water enters the clearance space between the protrusion and the sliding door due to capillary action, the clearance space becomes blocked with condensed water. As a result, the flow of cold air leaking to the outside can be blocked, improving insulation.

In addition, the first groove wall has a first hollow portion. In this way, the first hollow portion can improve the insulation properties, making it easier to suppress the occurrence of condensation at the opening edge portion.

In addition, a hollow cylindrical elastic member is arranged inside the receiving portion along the extension direction of the receiving portion, and when the sliding door is in the closed position, the intermediate wall abuts against the elastic member. In this way, when the sliding door is in the closed position, the intermediate wall abuts against the elastic member, thereby blocking the flow of cold air from inside the storage chamber to the outside.

The sliding door is erected vertically so as to intersect with the horizontal direction, and the elastic member is arranged to extend vertically within the receiving portion. In this way, condensation water can drip down inside the hollow cylindrical elastic member and be drained.

The opening edge is rectangular when viewed from the front, and rails are provided on two sides of the opening edge along the sliding direction for moving the sliding door in the sliding direction, and the upper rail located on the upper side of the rails has a rail hollow section. In this way, the rail hollow section can improve insulation, making it easier to suppress condensation on the upper rail.

The upper rail also has an insertion section into which the sliding door is inserted, and of the multiple upper rail walls constituting the insertion section, the upper rail wall closest to the storage chamber is provided with a rail communication port that connects the insertion section to the storage chamber. In this way, condensation on the upper rail can be effectively suppressed.

The upper rail also has an insertion section into which the sliding door is inserted, and a flexible cushioning material is arranged in the insertion section to fill the gap between the sliding door and the insertion section. In this way, when the sliding door is in the closed position, the grooves on the opening edge and the receiving section of the sliding door do not communicate with the insertion section, making it easier to prevent condensation from forming on the upper rail.

In addition, side frames are provided on two sides of the opening edge that intersect with the sliding direction, and a notch is provided at the bottom of each side frame to create a gap with the lower rail located at the lower side of the rails. In this way, when condensation occurs on the surface of the sliding door, the dripping condensation water can be guided into the gap, making it possible to prevent the condensation water from dripping onto the installation floor surface of the showcase and wetting the installation floor surface.

The sliding door has a door body and a door frame surrounding the door body, the end of the sliding door is made of a part of the door frame made of hard resin, and the groove is made of a part of a frame-shaped member made of hard resin attached to the opening edge. In this way, deterioration is more easily suppressed than when the end and the groove are made of a member made of soft resin.

The storage compartment also includes an internal fan for circulating and supplying cold air to the storage compartment, and the internal fan is installed in the storage compartment so that the cold air in the storage compartment flows down along the sliding door. In this way, the flow of cold air circulating in the storage compartment flows in the opposite direction to the flow of cold air flowing out from the storage compartment through the clearance space to the outside, thereby reducing the amount of cold air flowing out from the clearance space.

The technology described in this specification can reduce deterioration of sliding door components due to use.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a showcase according to a first embodiment; A cross-sectional view of line A-A in FIG. BB line cross-sectional view of FIG. A cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. Exploded front view of the sliding door FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the framed portion D in FIG. 2 . FIG. 6B is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the protruding portion of the first groove wall of FIG. 6A; FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the upper rail and its surroundings shown in FIG. Enlarged plan view of the upper rail's rail connection port as seen from the storage room FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the lower rail and its surroundings shown in FIG. Cross-sectional view showing the rollers Cross-sectional view showing the cushioning material FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of the buffer material of FIG. Perspective view of the upper cushioning material FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the framed area E in FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line F-F of FIG. FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a right side frame according to a second embodiment. FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a right side frame according to a third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the flow of condensation water near the upper rail according to the third embodiment; FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the circulation direction of cool air according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the vicinity of a right side frame according to a fifth embodiment.

First Embodiment
A vertical refrigerated storage cabinet will be described as a showcase 10 according to the first embodiment with reference to Figs. 1 to 15. In a part of each figure, an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis are shown, and each axis direction is drawn so as to be a common direction in each figure. The X-axis direction is the left-right direction, the Y-axis direction is the front-back direction, and the Z-axis direction is the up-down direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the showcase 10 has an elongated box shape overall, and stores and displays food, beverages, and other items to be cooled in a refrigerated state. The showcase 10 comprises an insulated box body 11, a pair of sliding doors 14A, 14B, and a machine room 15. The insulated box body 11 is insulated from the outside, and has an opening 30 that is rectangular when viewed from the front on the front side. The pair of sliding doors 14A, 14B are arranged on the front side of the insulated box body 11 so as to be able to open and close the opening 30, and slide in a predetermined sliding direction (left and right direction).

The insulated box 11 is constructed by foaming and filling an insulating material made of foamed resin such as urethane foam between an outer box and an inner box, which are assembled into a box shape using thermally conductive metal plates such as stainless steel. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the majority of the internal space of the insulated box 11 is a storage chamber 13 for storing items to be cooled. In the storage chamber 13, multiple shelves 13A are arranged vertically and supported by multiple shelf columns.

As shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4, the machine room 15 is disposed below the insulated box body 11, and its front side is covered by a front panel 15A. The machine room 15 houses a part of the cooling device 18 (refrigeration device) for cooling the storage room 13, a power source for supplying power to each part of the showcase 10, etc. A number of legs 12 that are placed on the installation floor surface are provided at the four corners of the underside of the machine room 15.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the cooling device 18 includes a compressor 16, a condenser 17, a condenser fan 19, and a cooler 21. The compressor 16, the condenser 17, and the condenser fan 19 are housed in the machine room 15. The cooler 21 is disposed in the ceiling portion (cooler room 20 described below) inside the insulated box body 11. The compressor 16, the condenser 17, and the cooler 21 are connected by refrigerant pipes 28 extending vertically, and the refrigerant is circulated in a predetermined circulation direction to form a known refrigeration cycle.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, an air duct 23, which also serves as an internal drain pan, is installed on the ceiling inside the insulated box 11. A cooler chamber 20 is formed above the air duct 23. An air inlet 25 is provided on the front side (sliding door 14A, 14B side) of the air duct 23, and an air outlet 26 is provided on the rear side. The cooler chamber 20 houses a cooler 21, and an internal fan 24 is arranged opposite the inlet 25.

The cooling operation is performed by driving the compressor 16, the condenser fan 19, and the interior fan 24. In the cooling operation, the air in the storage chamber 13 is sucked into the cooler chamber 20 from the intake port 25, and is converted into cold air through heat exchange as it passes through the cooler 21. As shown by the arrow W1 in FIG. 3, the cold air is blown out from the outlet port 26 into the storage chamber 13, descends along the rear wall surface 11A of the insulated box body 11 to the bottom wall surface 11B, and flows from the rear to the front along the bottom wall surface 11B. It then rises from the front side of the bottom wall surface 11B along the sliding doors 14A and 14B, and circulates to the intake port 25. In this manner, the storage chamber 13 is cooled.

During the defrosting operation, which is performed as needed, the defrost water from the cooler 21, etc. is received by the air duct 23, passes through the drain hose 27 (Figure 4), and is stored in the evaporator dish (external drain pan) 99.

As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the sliding doors 14A, 14B are arranged so as to be offset in the front-to-rear direction. When the sliding doors 14A, 14B are in a closed position (hereinafter simply referred to as the closed position) in which they completely cover the opening 30, the sliding door located on the left side in the left-to-right direction and at the rear in the front-to-rear direction is sliding door 14A, and the sliding door located on the right side in the left-to-right direction and at the front in the front-to-rear direction is sliding door 14B. Since the configurations of the sliding doors 14A, 14B are symmetrical and basically the same, the following description will mainly focus on the right sliding door 14B.

As shown in FIG. 5, the sliding door 14B includes a door body 80B and a door frame 81B. The door body 80B is made of a transparent plate such as glass or acrylic, and has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front. The user can see the state inside the storage room 13 through the transparent door body 80B. The door frame 81B has a pair of door side frames (right door frame 84B, left door frame 85B) extending in the vertical direction and a pair of door horizontal frames (upper door frame 86B, lower door frame 87B) extending in the horizontal direction, which are assembled with a plurality of screws 89B (FIG. 6A, etc.) to form a frame shape. The door frame 81B is made of a hard resin that is resistant to wear (e.g., synthetic resin such as polyacetal (POM), polyamide (PA), fluororesin (PTFE), and polyethylene (PE)). In addition, two door rollers 82B are attached to the lower door frame 87B (FIG. 10).

As shown in FIG. 6A, the right door frame 84B of the sliding door 14B has a door frame side 90B extending vertically on the right side of the door body 80B and two door frame walls (first door frame wall 91B, second door frame wall 92B), and a groove-shaped receiving portion 93B is formed by the door frame side 90B and the door frame walls 91B, 92B. The first door frame wall 91B and the second door frame wall 92B extend rightward from the front end and rear end of the door frame side 90B in the front-rear direction. When the sliding door 14B is in the closed position, the intermediate wall 65 of the right side frame 61 described later is inserted into the receiving portion 93B. The right door frame 84B also has a handle portion 83B on the front side, and the user puts his or her hand on the handle portion 83B to slide the sliding door 14B.

The configuration of the sliding door 14A is symmetrical to the configuration of the sliding door 14B, and the configurations of the left door frame 85A and the right door frame 84A of the sliding door 14A are similar to the configurations of the right door frame 84B and the left door frame 85B of the sliding door 14B described above, respectively.

Next, the opening edge surrounding the opening 30 of the insulating box 11 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the opening edge of the insulating box 11 is fitted with a guide frame 40 (an example of a frame-shaped member) for slidably holding the sliding doors 14A and 14B. The guide frame 40 has an upper rail 41, a lower rail 51, a right side frame 61, and a left side frame 71, which are arranged at the top, bottom, right, and left of the opening edge, respectively, and these form a rectangular frame as a whole. The upper rail 41 and the lower rail 51 are provided along the sliding direction (left-right direction) and hold the sliding doors 14A and 14B movably in the sliding direction. The right side frame 61 and the left side frame 71 extend in the vertical direction. The upper rail 41, lower rail 51, right side frame 61, and left side frame 71 are made of hard resin that is resistant to wear (e.g., synthetic resin such as polyacetal (POM), polyamide (PA), fluororesin (PTFE), and polyethylene (PE)).

As shown in Fig. 7, the upper rail 41 has groove-shaped insertion portions 41A and 41B into which the upper portions of the sliding doors 14A and 14B can be inserted. The upper portion of the sliding door 14A is inserted into the insertion portion 41A, and the upper portion of the sliding door 14B is inserted into the insertion portion 41B, and moves along these insertion portions 41A and 41B. The upper rail 41 has a rail top plate portion 42 that extends in the left-right direction at the upper portion of the opening edge of the insulating box 11, and three upper rail walls (first upper rail wall 44, second upper rail wall 46, and third upper rail wall 48), and the rail top plate portion 42 and the upper rail walls 44, 46, and 48 form two insertion portions 41A and 41B. The upper rail walls 44, 46, 48 extend downward from the rail top plate portion 42, and are arranged in the order of the first upper rail wall 44, the second upper rail wall 46, and the third upper rail wall 48 in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction, thickness direction of the sliding doors 14A, 14B) from the outside of the cabinet toward the storage chamber 13.

Of the upper rail walls 44, 46, and 48, the first upper rail wall 44, which is the outermost (furthest from the storage chamber 13), has a rail hollow portion 44A that is hollow (bag-shaped) as shown in FIG. 7. When the storage chamber 13 is cooled, the temperature of the upper rail 41 drops, and condensation is likely to occur in the portion of the upper rail 41 that comes into contact with warm air from the outside (outside the storage chamber). Therefore, by forming the rail hollow portion 44A in the upper rail wall 44, the insulation properties of the upper rail 41 can be improved and the occurrence of condensation can be suppressed.

In addition, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the third upper rail wall 48 is provided with a plurality of rail communication openings 49 that communicate between the insertion portion 41A and the storage chamber 13. The plurality of rail communication openings 49 are formed in a line in the third upper rail wall 48 at least in a portion that faces the sliding door 14A when the sliding door 14A is in the closed position (Fig. 1). The sliding door 14A is a sliding door arranged on the inside (rear side) of the storage chamber, and condensation is likely to occur on the third upper rail wall 48 that faces the sliding door 14A. In addition, if condensation that occurs in the upper rail 41 drips into the storage chamber due to vibrations caused by opening and closing the sliding doors 14A and 14B, it can cause discomfort to the user. Therefore, by providing the rail communication openings 49 in the portion of the third upper rail wall 48 where condensation is likely to occur, the insertion portion 41A and the storage chamber 13 are communicated, and condensation can be effectively suppressed. On the other hand, the first upper rail wall 44 and the second upper rail wall 46 that form the insertion portion 41B into which the sliding door 14B is inserted are not provided with a rail communication opening 49. In this way, it is possible to effectively suppress condensation that occurs in the upper rail 41 while eliminating the need for processing work to form the rail communication opening 49 in the first upper rail wall 44 and the second upper rail wall 46.

9 and 10, the lower rail 51 has a groove-shaped insertion portion 51A into which the lower portion of the sliding doors 14A and 14B is inserted. The lower rail 51 includes a rail bottom plate portion 52 extending in the left-right direction at the lower portion of the opening edge portion of the heat-insulating box body 11, and two lower rail walls (first lower rail wall 54 and second lower rail wall 56). The lower rail walls 54 and 56 extend upward from the rail bottom plate portion 52, and are arranged in the order of the first lower rail wall 54 and the second lower rail wall 56 from the outside of the storage room toward the storage room 13 in the front-rear direction. In addition, in the insertion portion 51A, the mounting walls 55 and 57 on which the rollers 82A and 82B of the sliding doors 14A and 14B are placed extend upward from the rail bottom plate portion 52. The height of the mounting walls 55 and 57 is smaller than that of the lower rail walls 54 and 56. As the rollers 82A and 82B rotate while placed on the mounting walls 55 and 57, the sliding doors 14A and 14B move smoothly in the sliding direction.

Next, the right side frame 61 and the left side frame 71 will be described. Since the structures of both are basically the same, the right side frame 61 will be mainly described below. As shown in Figs. 11 and 12, the upper and lower ends of the right side frame 61 are provided with flexible rubber cushioning materials (upper cushioning material 32, lower cushioning material 33). When the sliding door 14B is in the closed position, the door right frame 84B abuts against the cushioning materials 32, 33. In other words, when the sliding door 14B slides to the right and the door right frame 84B abuts against the cushioning materials 32, 33, the sliding door 14B is in the closed position. By providing the flexible cushioning materials 32, 33, the situation in which the door right frame 84B comes into contact with the right side frame 61 and is damaged is suppressed.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the right side frame 61 has a groove portion 61A that is generally groove-shaped, and the right end portion 84B1 of the door right frame 84B of the sliding door 14B can be inserted into the groove portion 61A. The right side frame 61 includes a side frame side portion 62 extending in the vertical direction, three groove walls (first groove wall 64, second groove wall 66, third groove wall 68), and intermediate walls 65 and 67. The groove walls 64, 66, and 68 extend leftward from the side frame side portion 62, and are arranged in the order of the first groove wall 64, the second groove wall 66, and the third groove wall 68 from the outside of the storage chamber toward the storage chamber 13 in the front-rear direction. The side frame side portion 62, the first groove wall 64, and the second groove wall 66 form the groove portion 61A, and a part of the side frame side portion 62 serves as the bottom wall of the groove portion 61A. The intermediate wall 65 extends between the first groove wall 64 and the second groove wall 66 from the side frame side portion 62 so as to face the first groove wall 64 and the second groove wall 66. The extension length of the intermediate wall 65 is formed to be smaller than the first groove wall 64 and the second groove wall 66.

As shown in Figures 6A and 6B, the first groove wall 64 has a protruding portion 64A with a mountain-shaped cross section that protrudes toward the storage chamber 13. When the sliding door 14B is in the closed position, the protruding portion 64A protrudes from the first groove wall 64 so as to create a clearance space (gap) S1 between the first door frame wall 91B of the sliding door 14B. The dimension of the clearance space S in the front-to-rear direction is very small, for example, about 0.7 mm.

According to the above-mentioned configuration, as shown in Figures 6A and 6B, when the right end 84B1 of the right door frame 84B of the sliding door 14B is inserted into the groove 61A of the right side frame 61 while the sliding door 14B is in the closed position, the circulation path of the cold air from the storage chamber 13 side to the outside becomes serpentine as shown by the arrow W3 in Figure 6A, the width of the circulation path becomes narrower, and the flow resistance becomes larger. In addition, by providing the protrusion 64A on the first groove wall 64 constituting the groove 61A, a narrowed portion (clearance space S1) is formed in the circulation path W3 of the cold air, so that the circulation of the cold air is reduced and the thermal insulation is easily ensured. On the other hand, when the sliding door 14B moves to the closed position, the clearance space S1 is interposed between the right side frame 61 and the sliding door 14B (the first door frame wall 91B of the right door frame 84B), so that it is easy to avoid the two coming into contact with each other. As a result, deterioration (wear) of the components of the sliding door 14B (right door frame 84B) due to contact can be suppressed even with repeated use. Furthermore, because both the right door frame 84B and the right side frame 61 are made of hard resin, even in the unlikely event that they come into contact, they are less likely to wear out or deteriorate than soft resins.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the protrusion 64A has a mountain-shaped cross section, and when the sliding door 14B is in the closed position, a space S2 with a wedge-shaped cross section is formed on both the left and right sides of the protrusion 64A between the first door frame wall 91B of the sliding door 14B and the mountain-shaped slope of the protrusion 64A. When condensation occurs on the protrusion 64A, the condensed water tends to accumulate in the space S2. The accumulated condensed water then enters the clearance space S1 due to the capillary phenomenon. As a result, when the clearance space S1 is blocked by condensed water, the flow of cold air leaking to the outside is blocked, improving insulation.

However, some of the cold air that has entered the circulation path W3 from the storage chamber 13 side to the outside may rise along the groove 61A of the right side frame 61 and the receiving portion 93B of the door right frame 84B, which extend in the vertical direction, and cause condensation on the upper rail 41. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, the upper cushioning material 32 provided at the upper end of the right side frame 61 is formed in a shape that closes at least the gap that occurs between the upper rail 41 and the sliding door 14B when the sliding door 14B is in the closed position. As shown in Figure 13, the upper cushioning material 32 has a first embedded portion 32A and a second embedded portion 32B that are embedded in the insertion portions 41A and 41B of the upper rail 41, respectively. The second embedded portion 32B is shaped to fill the gap between the insertion portion 41B of the upper rail 41 and the sliding door 14B. The upper cushioning material 32 prevents the groove 61A and receiving portion 93B from communicating with the insertion portions 41A and 41B, making it easier to prevent condensation from forming on the upper rail 41.

In addition, as shown in Figs. 14 and 15, a notch 98 is formed on the front surface of the lower part of the right side frame 61 (specifically, the first groove wall 64). This creates a gap G between the first groove wall 64 of the right side frame 61 and the lower rail 51 (specifically, the first lower rail wall 54). The vertical dimension of the gap G is about 2 mm to 3 mm. By providing the notch 98, when condensation occurs on the front surface of the sliding door 14B, the dripping condensation water can be guided to the gap G, and it is possible to prevent the condensation water from dripping onto the installation floor surface of the showcase 10 and wetting the installation floor surface. The condensation water guided from the notch 98 to the lower rail 51 is stored in the external drain pan 99 through a drain hose 97 (Fig. 4) connected to the lower rail 51.

If the cutout 98 were not formed and the lower front surface of the first groove wall 64 were covered by the upper part of the first lower rail wall 54, the portion of the lower part of the first groove wall 64 covered by the upper part of the first lower rail wall 54 would be thick, resulting in a step due to the thickness. Since condensation water can be stored in the step, this configuration can also prevent condensation water from dripping. However, if a step sufficient to store condensation water is formed, the outer diameter of the product would increase and the appearance design would be inferior. In contrast, the cutout 98 of this embodiment makes it possible to prevent condensation water from dripping while maintaining a simple appearance without increasing the outer diameter of the product.

Second Embodiment
The showcase 110 according to the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the structures of the right side frame 161 and the left side frame 171. Since the structures of the right side frame 161 and the left side frame 171 are basically the same, the following description will mainly focus on the right side frame 161. Note that redundant descriptions of the structures, actions, and effects similar to those of the first embodiment will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 16, the first groove wall 164 of the right side frame 161 has a hollow (bag-shaped) first hollow portion 164B. When the storage chamber 13 is cooled, the temperature of the right side frame 161 also drops, making it easier for condensation to form in the parts of the right side frame 161 that come into contact with warm air from the outside (outside the cabinet). Therefore, by forming the first hollow portion 164B in the first groove wall 164 facing the outside of the cabinet, the insulation properties of the right side frame 161 can be improved and the occurrence of condensation can be suppressed.

Third Embodiment
The showcase 210 according to the third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a hollow cylindrical flexible tube 95 (an example of an elastic member) is arranged in the receiving portion 193A, 193B of the sliding doors 114A, 114B. Since the structures of the sliding doors 114A, 114B are basically the same, the following description will mainly focus on the sliding door 114B. Note that a redundant description of the structure, action, and effect similar to those of the first embodiment will be omitted.

As shown in Figs. 17 and 18, a tube 95 is arranged to extend vertically in the groove-shaped receiving portion 193B of the right door frame 184B of the sliding door 114B. When the sliding door 114B is in the closed position, the tip of the intermediate wall 265 of the right side frame 261 abuts against the tube 95, and the tube 95 deforms to enclose the tip of the intermediate wall 265. This blocks the flow of cold air from the storage chamber 13 to the outside, improving insulation. The protruding ends of the door frame walls 191B, 192B and the intermediate wall 265 are bent or curved to increase the contact area with the tube 95.

In addition, if condensation occurs on the upper rail 41, the condensed water flows into the internal cavity of the tube 95 and flows down to be drained, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 18. By using the tube 95 as a drainage path for the condensed water, it becomes easier to prevent the condensed water from dripping when condensation occurs inside the upper rail 41. Note that Figure 18 shows a state in which a part of the component has been cut away so that the flow of the condensed water can be clearly seen.

Fourth Embodiment
The showcase 310 according to the fourth embodiment differs from the first to third embodiments in the circulation direction of the cool air in the storage chamber 13. The same structure, action, and effect as those of the first to third embodiments will not be described again.

As shown in FIG. 19, the air duct 123 has an air intake 125 at the rear and an air outlet 126 at the front. The interior fan 124 is positioned and its rotation direction is adjusted so that the cold air blown out from the air outlet 126 flows down along the inner surface of the sliding doors 14A and 14B (the surface on the storage chamber 13 side).

As shown by the arrow W5 in FIG. 19, the cold air is blown out from the air outlet 126 into the storage chamber 13, flows down along the inner surfaces of the sliding doors 14A and 14B, and flows from the front to the rear along the bottom wall surface 11B of the insulated box 11. It then rises along the rear wall surface 11A of the insulated box 11 and circulates to the air inlet 125.

As shown in FIG. 19, the cold air flowing along the circulation direction W5 flows from the front to the rear along the bottom wall surface 11B of the insulated box body 11, and is in the opposite direction at the bottom of the storage chamber 13 to the flow of cold air in the circulation path W3 (FIG. 6A) that flows from the storage chamber 13 side through the clearance space S1 to the outside. This makes it easier to reduce the amount of cold air flowing into the circulation path W3. As a result, the amount of cold air passing through the clearance space S1 can be reduced, improving insulation.

Fifth embodiment (related technology)
The showcase 410 according to the fifth embodiment differs from the third embodiment in the structure of the sliding doors 214A, 214B and the structures of the right side frame 361 and the left side frame 371. Since the structures of the sliding doors 214A, 214B are basically the same, the following mainly describes the sliding door 214B. Also, since the structures of the right side frame 361 and the left side frame 371 are basically the same, the following mainly describes the right side frame 361. Explanations of the same structure, action, and effect as those of the third embodiment will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 20, the right door frame 284B of the sliding door 214B has a protrusion 96B extending rightward from the middle of the front-to-rear direction of the door frame side 90B. The right side frame 361 does not have a middle wall as in the third embodiment, and the tube 95 is arranged in the groove 61A so as to extend vertically.

By doing this, when the sliding door 214B is in the closed position, the protruding end of the projection 96B of the door right frame 284B comes into contact with the tube 95, and the tube 95 deforms to enclose the tip of the projection 96B. This blocks the flow of cold air from the storage chamber 13 to the outside, ensuring thermal insulation.

<Other embodiments>
The technology described in this specification is not limited to the embodiments described in the above description and drawings, and for example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the technology described in this specification.

(1) The upper rail 41, lower rail 51, right side frame 61, 161, left side frame 71, 171, and door frame 81A, 81B are all made of hard resin, but as long as the outer surface is made of hard resin, the inside may be made of a material other than hard resin, such as metal.

(2) The sliding doors 14A, 14B, 114A, and 114B may be a single door or a set of three or more doors in a sliding configuration.

(3) The arrangement of the interior fans 24, 124 and the cooler 21 is not limited to that shown in the figure, and other arrangements are acceptable as long as the cool air circulates in the desired direction.

(4) The technology described in this specification may also be used in showcases other than upright refrigerators, freezer showcases whose interior is kept at a temperature below 0°C, and warming showcases whose interior is kept at a high temperature.

10, 110, 210, 310: showcase, 11: heat-insulating box, 13: storage room, 14A, 14B, 114A, 114B: sliding door, 24, 124: interior fan, 32: upper cushioning material (cushioning material), 40: guide frame (frame-shaped member), 41: upper rail (rail), 41A: rail hollow section, 42: rail top plate section, 44, 46, 48: upper rail wall, 49: rail connection port, 51: lower rail (rail), 61, 161, 261: right side Side frame, 61A: groove, 62: bottom wall, 64, 164: first groove wall, 64A, 164A: protrusion, 65, 265: intermediate wall, 71, 171, 271: left side frame, 80B: door body, 81B: door frame, 84B, 184B, 284B: right door frame, 93B, 193B: receiving part, 95: tube (elastic member), 98: notch, 164B: first hollow, S1: clearance space

Claims (8)

A heat-insulating box having a storage chamber and an opening for putting the object to be cooled into and taking it out of the storage chamber;
A sliding door that is arranged to move in a sliding direction so as to open and close the opening;
A cooling device for cooling the storage chamber,
an opening edge portion of the insulating box that constitutes the opening portion has a groove portion into which an end portion of the sliding door in the sliding direction can be inserted,
Among the groove walls that configure the groove portion and extend along the sliding direction, a first groove wall that is located at a position farthest from the storage chamber in the thickness direction of the sliding door has a protruding portion that protrudes toward the storage chamber,
A bottom wall that constitutes the groove and extends along the thickness direction of the sliding door is provided with an intermediate wall that extends opposite the first groove wall,
the end portion of the sliding door has a groove-shaped receiving portion into which the intermediate wall is inserted when the sliding door is in a closed position in which the sliding door completely covers the opening,
The protruding portion has an inclined surface extending from its base end toward its protruding end,
When the sliding door is in the closed position,
the intermediate wall does not contact the receiving portion into which it is inserted;
The end of the sliding door does not contact the bottom wall,
The protruding portion does not contact the sliding door, and a clearance space is generated between the protruding end of the protruding portion and the sliding door,
When condensation occurs on the protruding portion, the condensed water enters the clearance space, causing the clearance space to become blocked . The showcase according to claim 1 , wherein the first groove wall has a first hollow portion. The opening edge portion has a rectangular shape when viewed from the front,
The opening edge portion has two sides along the sliding direction, and a rail for moving the sliding door in the sliding direction is provided on each of the two sides.
3. The showcase according to claim 1, wherein an upper rail located at an upper side of the rails has a rail hollow portion. The showcase described in claim 3, wherein the upper rail has an insertion portion into which the sliding door is inserted, and among the multiple upper rail walls constituting the insertion portion, the upper rail wall closest to the storage chamber is provided with a rail communication port connecting the insertion portion to the storage chamber. The upper rail has an insertion portion into which the sliding door is inserted,
5. The showcase according to claim 3, wherein a flexible buffer material is disposed in the insertion portion so as to fill a gap between the insertion portion and the sliding door. Side frames are provided on two sides of the opening edge portion that intersect with the sliding direction,
The showcase according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein a cutout is provided in the lower part of each of the side frames to create a gap between the side frames and a lower rail located on the lower side of the rails. The sliding door has a door body and a door frame surrounding the door body,
The end of the sliding door is made of a part of a door frame made of hard resin,
7. The showcase according to claim 1, wherein the groove portion is formed by a part of a frame-shaped member made of a hard resin and attached to the opening edge portion. The sliding door is erected in the vertical direction so as to intersect with the horizontal direction,
An internal fan for circulating and supplying cold air to the storage chamber is provided,
The showcase according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the interior fan is provided in the storage compartment so that cool air in the storage compartment flows downward along the sliding door.

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