March 11, 1958
Filed Sept. 9, 1955
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March 11, 1958 '
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A. T. TOBIASZ
REFRIGERATED DISPLAY CASE
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Filed' Sept. 9. 1955
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March 11, 1958
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‘ 2,826,046
REFRIGERATED DISPLAY CASE
3 Sheets-Sheet 3
Filed Sept. 9, 1955
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United States Patent 0 "ice
2,826,046
Patented Mar. 11, 1958
2
1
vided with hinged doors 4 and 5 on its front wall 6.
Similar doors are provided on its back wall when the
depth of the compartment is su?icient to make such doors
2,826,046
desirable. Each food display compartment may be
REFRIGERATED DISPLAY CASE
Albin T. Tobiasz, Norwood Park, Ill., assignor to Leitner
Equipment Company, a corporation of Illinois
with other similar sections, but it is preferred to form
all the food display compartments as a single unit.
Unit 7 is provided with a liner 10 extending around
the interior in spaced relationship to the side wall 11,
top 12, and side wall 13, as shown in Fig. 3. The space
between the liner and the walls is ?lled with any suitable
formed as a separate section adapted to be assembled
. ' Application September 9, 1955, Serial No. 533,364
1 Claim. (Cl. 62-895)
insulation, as indicated at 14.
In cases intended to
stand against a wall, unit 7 may be provided with an
insulated back wall structure similar to side walls 11,
This‘ invention relates to a. refrigerated display case, 15 and 13.
Upper display compartment 8 is provided with inner
and is particularly concerned with means for providing
side panels 15 and 16 which are mounted in spaced re
visibility and accessibility from the front and back of
lationship to liner 10 on opposite sides of the case and
the case.
cooperate with liner 10 to form air passageways between _
The advantages of food display from the front and
back of refrigerated display cases are obvious, but here 20 the liner and each inner side panel. Side panel 15 is
provided at its upper end with a horizontal ?ange 17
tofore the apparent necessity for refrigeration coils ad
extending outwardly to liner ‘10, to which it is secured
jacent the back of such cases have prevented such dis
in any suitable manner, as by welding. The lower end
play.
of side panel 15 is provided with a horizontal ?ange 18
In accordance with my invention the refrigerated air
, is passed through the display case from one side of the 25 extending inwardly. Side panel 16 is provided with cor
responding ?anges 19 and 20. Flanges 17 and 19 are
case to the other, thereby eliminating the coils which
spaced a short distance below the top of the case and
ordinarily obstruct the display of food in the case from
support a transparent horizontal panel 21. A ?uorescent
the back of the case. The side-to-side ?ow of refrig
light tube 22 is mounted above panel 21 to provide light
erated air also makes possible the provision of doors on
front and back to provide access to the food from either 30 for the interior of the case. A horizontal transparent
panel 23 is supported on ?anges 18 and 20. Panel 23
front or back of the display case when it is positioned
forms the bottom of the upper display compartment and
in a center aisle. The provision of access doors on front
completely closes the space between side panels 15 and
‘and back eliminates a substantial amount of work for
the waitresses, and speeds up service.
The display case may be provided with several food
display compartments, and, if desired, the upper food
display compartment may be isolated from the refrig
erated air and kept at normal temperature. Dampers
are provided to isolate the upper food display compart
ment from the refrigerated air, and these may readily be
moved whenever it is desired to change the upper com
partment from a non-refrigerated compartment to a re
frigerated compartment, and vice versa.
The lower food display compartment may be provided
with a plurality of openings in its bottom wall to re
ceive salad pans. Cold air is blown across the bottom
of the salad pans to keep the salads in fresh and appetiz
35
16 from the lower portion of the case.
The lower display compartment 9 is provided with
inner side panels 24 and 25 which are similar to panels
15 and 16 and are also spaced inwardly from liner 10
to form air passageways between liner 10 and each in
ner side panel. Panel 24 is provided with a ?ange 26
which extends outwardly from its upper edge but ter
minates in spaced relationship to liner 10, and with a
?ange 27 extending inwardly from its lower end. Panel
25 is provided with similar ?anges 28 and 29. A damper
30 is slidably mounted between ?anges 18 and 26.
Damper 30 is wider than the lateral space between liner
1t) and panel 24, and is provided with a downturned lip
31 adapted to facilitate manipulation of the damper to
ing condition.
close or open the air passageway between liner 10 and
scribed in the following speci?cation, taken in conjunc
tion with the accompanying drawings, showing a pre
of the case.
The structure by which the above mentioned and other 50 panel 24. A damper 32, similar to damper 30, is
mounted between ?anges 20 and 28 at the. opposite end
advantages of the invention are attained will be de
A bottom plate 33 of any suitable construction, is
mounted on ?anges 27 and 29. In the drawings the
ferred illustrative embodiment of the invention, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerated dis 55 bottom plate 33 is providedwith a plurality of openings
33', and a tray 34 is positioned in each opening. Trays
play case embodying the invention;
- Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken along the
line 2-2 of Fig. 1, the intermediate food display
shelves being omitted;
‘
34 are provided with shoulders 35 adapted to seat on
plate 33 adjacent openings 33' to hold the trays with the
bottom portion of each suspended through an open
. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken along the 60 ing 33'.
line 3—-—3 of Fig. 2;
Compartment 3 is provided with side walls 36 and 37,
_
Fig; 4 is a cross sectional view, taken along the line
4-4 of Fig. 3;
,
and a bottom wall 38. A liner 39 is spaced inwardly
from the outer walls of compartment 3 and is provided
with openings (not shown) in registration with each
Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view show~
ing the upper compartment with the dampers in closed 65 door. The edges of liner 39 terminate in ?anges extend
ing to the walls of the compartment to completely close
position for isolating the upper food display compart
the space between the liner and the walls. This space
ment from the refrigerated air; and
is ?lled with suitable insulation 40. The depth of com
Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view show
partment 3 is greater than the depth of unit 7, and com
ing the damper structure in closed position.
Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 2 70 partment 3 is provided with a top wall 41 which extends
forwardly and rearwardly of unit 7 to provide shelves 42
indicates a base which supports a lower compartment 3.
and 43. In cases designed to stand against a wall, the
Compartment 3 may be used for food storage and is pro»
3,826,048
4
a
back of unit 7 is preferably ?ush with the back of com
partment 3‘and'shelf 43 is eliminated.
A blower housing 44 is'mounted in compartment 3
display. The intermediate shelves are mounted in any
suitable manner, and are of less depth than the depth
of the food display compartments, to insure proper cir
culation of air throughout each compartment.
If visibility is not required through the back of the
adjacentliner it} and. just below. the bottom ofone of
said trays 34. The bottom of blower, housing 44 isopen,
and a motor. 45 is mounted therein. A fan 46 iscon
nected to' the motor and is rotated ,ina horizontalplane.
A circular ?n refrigerating coil 47 is mounted inblower
housing 44 above‘ fan. 46. The blades of fan. 46 are
case, the back wall of unit 7 may be constructed in the
same manner as side walls :11 and 13. If display through
the back is desired, but accessibility is not required, the
shaped to blow air upwardly through the tin coil which
cools the airpassing therethrough.
forate transparentclosurewmember. Such .closure mem
back of the. case maybe provided: with a ?xed, imper~
ber may be made ofdglassor. of any, suitable plastic mate
rial. In the preferred form, the food displayed in the
casetis.visiblefromreither'the. frontorhack of the case,
and access is provided through both the front and back.
’ Housing '44 has one laterally extending opening. 48 which
directs some of the refrigerated airlaterally across the up
per portion of compartmcnt3 to keep the contents of trays
34 cool. Another opening'_'49 in the ‘blower housing 15 In such structures‘ the structure at the front of the case
communicates with the air passageway between liner 10
is duplicated at the back, and therefore, the description
and» panel‘ 25 totdirect‘refrigerated air upwardly along
will be limited to the front.
the side of compartment 9; 'If' damper 32 is open, the
Unit 7 is provided with a front framepcomprising sides
refrigerated air also passes upwardly through the air
55
and‘ 56, a bottom member '57, and a top member 58.
passageway between liner 10 and‘ panel 16.
20 A transverse strip‘. '59 extends between sides 55 and 56
Panel 16 is provided adjacent its upper end series of
adjacent the top of compartment 9. Each food display
vents 49 through which the refrigerated air passes to
compartment is provided with a double track 60 extend
cool compartment 8. A similar series of vents 50 adja
ing across thecase at its-loweredge and a double chan
centthe upper end‘ of panel 25 directs some of the re
nel 61 at its upper edge. Doors 62 and 63 are slidably
frigerated air across compartment 9 to cool it. The 25 mounted in trackeotl and channel 61. ‘Each door is essen
blower and refrigerating coil- have suf?cient capacity to
tially a transparent panel of-glass or plastic material, and
provide cool air for both food display compartments 8
is approximately equal in width to half the width of the
and 9, as well as for the upper portion of compartment
front frame. A suitable handle 64 is mounted on each
3. . If damper 32 is ‘closed, thecool air doesn’t pass into
door to facilitate manipulation thereof. Instead of pro
compartment. 8 butis forced through vents 50 in com—
viding a pair of doors for each food display compart
partment 9. The dampers 3tland32 are freely movable
ment, each-doorv may-be 10f thesame height as the front
and may he slid manually from open to closed position
and vice versa. When both dampersaare open, both food
frame, and one pair of doors-,mayserve as a closure for
the entireunit 7.
While I have described several preferred embodiments
ers are closed, the upper food. display compartment is
of
my invention’ in considerabledetail, it will be under
isolated from the .?ow. of refrigerated air. If unit 7
stood that- the descriptionthereof is intended to be illus
has more than two compartments, a pair of dampers and
trative, rather than restrictive, as many details of the
vents are provided for each additional compartment.
structure may be modi?ed or‘ changed without departing
Panels 15 and 24 are each provided with a series of
from the spiritor scope of the invention. Accordingly,
vents 51 and 52 respectively, which are similar to vents 40 I do notdesireto be restrictedtothe-exact construction
49 and 50. The cold air passing throughcompartment 8
described.
passes through vents 51 and downwardly through the air
Lclaim:
passageway between panel 15 and liner 10. This air can
A refrigerated display case having a pair of‘ insulated
not pass through vents 52 because the cold air ?owing
side walls, a lower compartment, an upper display com
display compartmentsare refrigerated. Whenboth damp~
into compartment 9 through vents 50 is passing through
vents 52 in the opposite direction. The air from vents
51 merges with the air from vents 52 and flows down
wardly through the air passageway between panel 24 and
liner 10, and through opening 53 into compartment 3.
The air ?owing through opening 53 merges with the air
?owing from opening 48 across the top portion of com
partment 3, and carries it downwardly and around the
bottom portion of compartment 3 where it is again
picked up by the blower fan and blown past; the refriger
ating coils. The position of the blower and refrigerating
45
housing, said upper display compartment having side
panels spaced from said insulated side walls to provide
50 air passageways therebetween, said blower housing hav
ing two openingswhereby-refrigerated air may be blown
laterally across .theupper portion of said lower compart
ment and into one of said air passageways at the same
time, and a vent in each of said side panels for directing
refrigerated air from; one of said passageways across said
displayv compartment into said other passageway and
coils in compartment 3 makes it possible to refrigerate
back into said blower housing.
compartments 8 and 9 without having refrigerating pipes
in either display compartment, thus leaving both front
and rear of the food display compartments unobstructed.
The appearance of the food display compartments is
enhanced by the clear, unobstructed view, even when the
display case is positioned against a wall. Each food dis
play compartment is provided with one or more inter
partment, a blower housingmounted in said lower com
partment, a refrigerating coil and a fan in said blower
(i (l
References Cited in the ?le of this patent
UNITED ‘STATES .PATENTS
1,397,392
2,150,195
2,255,947
2,466,286
mediate shelves 54, as shown in Fig. 1. Shelves 54 are
preferably glass or transparent plastic material so that 65 2,533,913
2,561,276
they will not detract from the attractiveness of the food
2,568,268
Amend _____________ __ Nov. 15,
Valade ______________ __ Mar. 14,
Starr _______________ __ Sept. 16,
Stultz ________________ __ Apr. 5,
Booth _______________ __ Dec. 12,
Hill _________________ __ July 17,
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1951
Booth -..., ____________ .._ Sept. 18, 1951