Temperature control plate and self-service shelf with a temperature control plate

Abstract

To be able to keep warm or to cool products that are placed on the individual shelves (6) of a dispensing shelf (1), the shelves (6) are embodied as electrically operated temperature-control panels (50), wherein the temperature-control panels (50) as well as particularly the base frame (19) of the dispensing shelf (1) are adjusted to each other in a specific manner.

Claims

1. A self-service dispensing shelf for storing, presenting and dispensing food products, which are to be hygienically protected, to a removing person, comprising: a base frame having front upright profiles and rear upright profiles, at least one storage space for storing and presenting products on a respective shelf, so that the products are visible to the removing person, a front side arranged to face towards the removing person, a back side arranged to face away from the removing person, a right side and a left side as seen in a depth direction from the front side to the back side, at least one removal space for taking out the products from the dispensing shelf, wherein the at least one storage space comprises multiple storage spaces or the at least one removal space comprises multiple removal spaces, and wherein the multiple storage spaces or the multiple removal spaces are at least partially arranged one above the other in levels, which are separated from each other in height by a shelf arranged between them as a dividing element, between the front upright profiles and the rear upright profiles of the base frame there are support strips running along the left and right sides of the dispensing shelf for supporting the shelves, at least one shelf is embodied as a temperature-control panel, sides of the base frame are partially closed by multiple side plates, the side plates on each level are arranged to each be pivotable outwardly about a pivot axis extending in the depth direction, so that lower edges of the side plates can be pivoted outwardly in order to be able to lift a side edge of the temperature-control panel and pass the temperature-control panel upwards for removal in an inclined state, wherein one of the side plates is arranged as a pivotable reach back protection device, and the dispensing shelf includes a suspension device for attaching the reach back protection device so that the reach back protection device is pivotably limited.

2. The dispensing shelf according to claim 1, wherein each shelf that separates adjacent removal spaces of the multiple removal spaces or adjacent storage spaces of the multiple storage spaces is embodied as a temperature-control panel.

3. The dispensing shelf according to claim 1, wherein when the temperature-control panel is placed centrally in the dispensing shelf on the support strips extending in the depth direction, the temperature-control panel rests on the support strips up to a lateral overhang of a top side of the support strips of less than 8 mm but does not laterally project beyond dimensions of the base frame.

4. The dispensing shelf according to claim 1, wherein one of the support strips, as viewed in an extension direction, comprises a V-profile which in a mounted state is open towards an outer side of the dispensing shelf, and a fixation appliance for attaching at an upright profile is present at a front end and a rear end of the V-profile, each fixation appliance respectively projecting beyond the V-profile, wherein each fixation appliance comprises a plate-shaped screw lug with a passage opening, wherein a plane of the plate-shaped screw lug extends at a right angle to a free ending area of an upper leg of the V-profile, and the plate-shaped screw lug is offset backwards from a free outer end of the upper leg by an offset distance that maximally corresponds to a width of an upright profile, as viewed from the front side.

5. The dispensing shelf according to claim 1, wherein the temperature-control panel comprises a composite plate, and a data/power cable leads out of a rear narrow side of the composite plate of the temperature-control panel.

6. The dispensing shelf according to claim 1, wherein open areas on at least one of the sides of the base frame are closed by at least one side plate by at least 70%.

7. The dispensing shelf according to claim 1, wherein the reach back protection device is arranged between a storage space of the at least one storage space and a removal space of another dispensing shelf when the another dispensing shelf is located next to the dispensing shelf so that the storage space and the removal space are arranged laterally next to each other, and wherein the reach back protection device comprises a planar material that closes a side of an air space of the storage space by at least 70%.

8. The dispensing shelf according to claim 1, wherein the back side of the dispensing shelf is at least partially closed by a rear door which is translucent at least from the outside of the dispensing shelf to inside of the dispensing shelf.

9. The dispensing shelf according to claim 1, wherein the dispensing shelf has a cover plate that closes a top side of an uppermost storage space and that comprises a thermally insulating material or is mirror-coated, as viewed from a bottom side.

10. The dispensing shelf according to claim 1, wherein the front side of the dispensing shelf is inclined at least in an upper area towards a vertical line with a lower portion of the front side in the upper area being further away from the back side than an upper portion of the front side in the upper area.

11. The dispensing shelf according to claim 1, wherein a suspended cross bar is present between the front upright profiles of the base frame, and is arranged at such a height position that the cross bar is positioned in front of or below a front narrow side of one of the dividing elements.

12. The dispensing shelf according to claim 1, wherein the at least one storage space comprises the at least one removal space.

13. The dispensing shelf according to claim 1, wherein the shelves are arranged one above the other, and inclination of the shelves increases from a lowermost shelf to an uppermost shelf.

14. The dispensing shelf according to claim 1, wherein at least one front stop for the temperature-control panel is present at the base frame.

15. The dispensing shelf according to claim 4, wherein the upper leg of the V-profile, as viewed in the extension direction of the V-profile, extends in a straight manner from its free end up to a rounded tip of the V-profile over a distance that at least corresponds to a width of an upright profile, as viewed from the front side.

16. The dispensing shelf according to claim 4, wherein a lower leg of the V-profile, at least in a section of a free end area of the lower leg, extends obliquely outwards with respect to the upper leg at an angle of 20-60° relative to the free ending area of the upper leg (34 a) that extends in a straight manner.

17. The dispensing shelf according to claim 16, wherein in the section of the lower leg that extends obliquely outwards, at least at each end of the one support strip, an attachment device for attaching a light bar at an outer side of the lower leg is present.

18. The dispensing shelf according to claim 4, wherein a front stop, which comprises a same material as the V-profile, projects upward beyond an upper side of the upper leg at the front end of the V-profile.

19. A self-service dispensing shelf assembly for storing, presenting and dispensing food products, which are to be hygienically protected, to a removing person, the dispensing shelf assembly comprising: a base frame having a front side arranged to face towards the removing person, a back side arranged to face away from the removing person, a right side and a left side as seen in a depth direction from the front side to the back side, a front upright profile, a rear upright profile, and support strips between the front upright profile and the rear upright profile; multiple shelves that are supported by the support strips and that define multiple storage spaces of the dispensing shelf assembly, each shelf being configured to store and present products so that the products are visible to the removing person, wherein the multiple storage spaces are at least partially arranged one above the other in levels, and at least one of the shelves is embodied as a temperature-control panel; and multiple side plates that at least partially close open spaces on the right and left sides of the base frame, wherein the multiple side plates include a side plate on each level that is arranged to be pivotable outwardly about a pivot axis extending in the depth direction so that a lower edge of the side plate can be pivoted outwardly, wherein one of the multiple side plates is arranged as a pivotable reach back protection device that is pivotably limited so that the one side plate is pivotable to a greater extent in a first direction from a suspended start position as compared to in a second direction opposite the first direction.

20. The dispensing shelf assembly according to claim 19, wherein at least one of the storage spaces comprises a removal space for taking products from the dispensing shelf assembly.

Description

c) Exemplary Embodiments

(1) In the following, embodiments according to the invention are described in more detail by way of example. Herein:

(2) FIG. 1a: shows the dispensing shelf in the side view, that is, as viewed in the width direction, with a first front design,

(3) FIG. 1b: shows the dispensing shelf in the front view, that is, as viewed in the depth direction from the front,

(4) FIG. 1b1: shows an enlarged view of FIG. 1b,

(5) FIG. 1c: shows the dispensing shelf in the side view with a second front design,

(6) FIG. 2a: shows a reach back protection device with a side plate,

(7) FIG. 2b: shows a reach back protection device with a fixedly mounted side plate,

(8) FIG. 2b1: shows a partial section view of a portion of the device shown in FIG. 2b,

(9) FIGS. 3a-c: show a temperature-control panel in different views,

(10) FIG. 3a1: shows an enlarged view of FIG. 3a,

(11) FIGS. 4a-c: show sections through different edge designs of a temperature-control panel.

(12) FIG. 1a shows a side view and FIG. 1b shows a front view of a single dispensing shelf 1, from which it can initially be seen that the dispensing shelf 1 has a frame-like base frame 19 which consists of profiles 41 that are welded or screwed together, namely of vertically extending upright profiles 41a, depth profiles 41b that extend in the depth direction 30, as well as transverse profiles 41c that extend in the width direction 31, the transversal direction.

(13) In this manner, a base frame 19 is created, which is rectangular in the front view, that is, having left and right upright struts 41a that extend in parallel to each other as well as horizontally extending depth profiles 41b, as well as cross struts 41c.

(14) The transverse profiles 41c, which extend between the rear as well as the front upright profiles 41a, are present in the height only at the upper end as well as in the lower half, at approximately a third of the total height of the dispensing shelf 1, which is approximately as tall as a person, so that the lower transverse profile 41c is located approximately at the knee height of an adult user 100 who stands in front of it, or slightly higher.

(15) It can also be seen in the side view of FIG. 1a that the depth profiles 41b are also only present at two positions, namely between the upper ends of the front and rear upright profiles 41a as well as approximately at the same height as the lower transverse profile 41c in FIG. 1b.

(16) In the side view, a depth profile 41b could additionally also be present at the lower ends of the sides of the front and rear upright profiles 41a. However, there is no additional transverse profile 41c present at the height of the lower ends of the upright profiles 41a, as can be seen in FIG. 1b, so as not to compromise accessibility from the front between the upright struts 41a in the base area 12′ slightly above the ground.

(17) The side view of FIG. 1a shows that, in the side view, the base frame 19 is not rectangular in total but only in the lower area, that is, up to the lower of the two depth profiles 41b, and has a vertical front side 3 there, while from there on upwards and thus in the largest part of the front side 3, it is formed to be tilted, that is, in this area the frontal upright profile 41a comes closer to the rear, continuously vertical upright profile 41a in the upwards direction.

(18) Further, the depth profiles 41b that connect the upper ends of the upright profiles 41a do not extend horizontally, but so as to be slightly tilted from the front side 3 towards the back side 22 of the base frame 19. This top side of the dispensing shelf 1 is closed by a cover plate 42 that is placed onto the base frame 19 from above.

(19) The front side 3 of the base frame 19 in front of which the user 100 stands, intending to take out products P from the dispensing shelf 1, can be completely open or more or less closed, as will be explained in the following, and the side surfaces can likewise be open or closed.

(20) The back side 22, from which the dispensing shelf 1 is usually filled with products by the operator, is either open or closed by rear doors 15 or flaps that are to be opened, as will also be explained.

(21) Above the lower depth profile 41b and the transverse profile 41c, on different heights between the left as well as between the right front and rear upright profiles 41a and respectively left and right at the same height, bearing strips 18 are attached, usually screwed on, at the upright profiles 41a on which—as shown in FIG. 1b1 as viewed from the front—plate-shaped dividing elements 6, such as for example temperature-control panels 50 or shelves, for products P to be placed thereon and sold are placed with their edge area.

(22) Here, the bearing strips 18 and thus the dividing elements 6 are arranged so as to be tilted downwards from the back side 22 towards the front side 3, and namely with an increasing inclination from the uppermost to the lowermost bearing strip 18, wherein the lowermost bearing strip 18 can also be arranged horizontally, as shown in FIG. 1a.

(23) Thus, the dividing elements 6, here temperature-control panels 50 or also simple bearing shells 6 for products P, divide the inner space of the dispensing shelf 1 in the height into individual levels or compartments, whereby individual storage spaces 2 for the products P are created, namely between the individual dividing elements 6 as well as between the uppermost dividing element 6 and the upper end of the base frame 19 of the dispensing shelf 1, that is, usually the cover plate 42.

(24) The area below the lowermost dividing element 6 is referred to as a base space 12, so that the dispensing shelf 1 is divided into a storage area 2′ and a base area 12′ also in the height.

(25) The front side 3 is usually closed in the base area 12′ by a front plate 16, which, however, can be opened due to the front plate 16 being openable and in the present case being embodied as a flap and attached in a pivotable manner at the base frame, in particular the lower transverse profile 41c, by means of one or multiple hinges 21 at its upper edge.

(26) In the opened state, this facilitates access into the base space 12 from the front, either to clean the base surface 200 therein or to stock goods there. The closing process of the front plate 16 is slowed by a closing damper 25, thus dampening the impact.

(27) As shown in FIG. 1b at the left side of the dispensing shelf 1, the sides of the dispensing shelf 1 can be closed if needed by means of a lateral side plate 20 on one or both sides, respectively as required either only in the base area 12′ or also in the storage area 2′, which, among other things, depends on whether multiple such dispensing shelves 1 are positioned next to each other as viewed in the front view of FIG. 1b and/or whether or not in that case the adjacent storage spaces 2 have to be separated from each other.

(28) Among other things, this depends on whether bearing shells 6 or dividing elements with another function, for example temperature-control panels 50—heating plates for keeping products P warm or cooling plates for cooling products P—are used as the dividing elements, since in that case a respective storage space 2 may have to be mostly closed towards all sides already for reasons of thermal insulation.

(29) Thus, the front view of FIG. 1b shows a side plate 20 that extends continuously over the entire height of the base frame 19 which in that case, however, has to rest externally on the side surface of the base frame 19 as a general rule, which is not optimal when multiple base frames 19 have to be placed next to each other.

(30) In contrast, what can be seen in FIG. 1a in the upper two storage spaces 2 or take-out rooms 4 are respectively individual side plates 20, in this case formed as at least partially translucent side panels 20, that are inserted into the free space between the front and rear upright profiles 41a that delimit this storage space 2 in the side view as well as the bearing strip 18 extending above and below it, in the uppermost storage space 2 between the depth profile 41b located above it and the bearing strip 18 located below it, which will be explained in more detail based on FIGS. 2a, b.

(31) In FIG. 1a, the two upper levels are shown simultaneously as storage space 2 and removal space 4 at the same time, with the storage front plate 11 that respectively closes this space 2, 4 on the front side 3, extending across the entire front surface of this space 2, 4 and being formed as a door with a lateral hinge that can be opened by the removing person 100 to then be able to directly take out a product P, in the present case a food product that is filled into a kind of small basket.

(32) To ensure that the storage front plate 11 does not unintentionally remain open and the heat which is generated by the heating plate 50 that is respectively provided there as a shelf and thus a dividing element 6 escapes from the storage and removal space 2, 4, these storage front plates 11—no matter whether in the design as a door like in FIG. 1a, or as a flap like in FIG. 1c—are formed in such a manner that they automatically close, in particular due to gravity, upon being released.

(33) To ensure that the impact on the front upright profile 41a does not become too hard, a stop damper 27, which may for example consist of plastic material and onto which the storage front plate impacts (FIG. 1a), is attached on the front side of the upright profile 41a, in particular adhesively attached, preferably in the solution as a door.

(34) For it to be reliably kept in the closed state, a magnet 26 is attached at the storage front plate 11 on the side that is facing the base frame 19 in the area of the upright profile 41a which is sufficiently strong to hold the storage front plate 11 in this position on the base frame 19 made of iron when it comes to rest at the stop damper 27.

(35) As shown in FIG. 1a, the magnet 26 is arranged in such a manner that it comes to rest against the stop damper 27 which, however, does not necessarily have to be the case: The magnet 26 could also be arranged so as to be offset with respect to the stop damper 27, so that in the closed state the storage front plate 11 rests directly at the stop damper 27 if the magnet 26 is thinner than the stop damper 27.

(36) In FIG. 1a, in the lowermost level of the storage area 2′, the space that is delimited downwards by the lower depth profile 41b and the stop bar 18 arranged above it is shown to be only used as a storage space 2, so that accordingly the removing person 100 is not supposed to and not able to directly reach from the front side 3 into this storage space 2, but rather only by means of a tool 37 extending into this storage space 2 from the outside, such as a slider 33 which extends through a narrow tool opening 14 in the storage front plate 11. The removing person 100 can hold this tool at the outer end outside of the dispensing shelf 1 and, with the end that is located in the dispensing shelf 1, that is, inside the storage space 2, displace a products P located therein, and namely into a removal space 4 that in the view direction of FIG. 1a is located in front or behind it, e.g. of a further base frame 19 attached at the side, as shown based on FIGS. 2a, b.

(37) In this case, the removing person 100 should of course as far as possible not be able to open the storage front plate 11, but it should still be possible to be open it for cleaning purposes etc. at least by the personnel.

(38) For this reason, the storage front plate 11, which in this case is also embodied as a door, is secured with a control mechanism 48 at its free end at one of the upright profiles 41a, as shown in the enlarged view:

(39) Here, for example at the base frame 19, a displaceable in particular pivotable, e.g. L-shaped latch 45 is attached, with its cranked extension 45a meshing in the locked state into a recess 46 that is attached at the inner side of the storage front plate 11.

(40) Thus, this latch mechanism 48 cannot be opened at all through the tool opening 14 or can only be opened with much effort, and is usually opened by the personnel from the back side 22 of the dispensing shelf 1 that is either designed to be open at the rear, or is opened.

(41) Especially when temperature-control panels 50 are used as dividing elements 6 in the dispensing shelf 1, but also independently of whether this is the case, the back side 22 of the dispensing shelf 1 is also supposed to be closable.

(42) For this reason, in FIG. 1a the back side 22 is closed by a separate rear door 15 which extends on the back side of the base frame 19 across a height of each compartment, that is, each level, and which is usually also embodied as a panel that is translucent at least from the outside towards the inside to make it possible for the personnel to see the loading state in the interior of the storage space 2 or removal space 4.

(43) As can also be seen in FIG. 1a, the temperature-control panels 50, 50′ that are used on each level as a shelf 6 have different lengths in their extension in the depth—or more precisely in the extension direction of the bearing strips 18 on which they respectively rest—, which, among other things, is due to the increasing inclination of the bearing strips 18 from the lowermost, non-tilted, to the uppermost bearing strip 18, as well as due to the tilted front side:

(44) However, because—despite the increasing inclination of the bearing strips 18 due to the stronger effect of the inclination of the front side 3—the length of the bearing strips 18 decreases from the bottom up, the length of the shortest, uppermost temperature-control panels 50 is chosen such that they extend substantially across the entire length of their bearing strips 18.

(45) Thus, the second temperature-control panel 50 from above and all temperature-control panels 50 located below it are slightly longer than the uppermost temperature-control panel 50, but are all of the same length, that means that they have the same length in their depth direction, that is, in the mounted state in the extension direction of the bearing strips 18, and namely are chosen in such a manner that the second temperature-control panel 50 from above substantially extends across the entire length of its bearing strips 18.

(46) Since a front stop 8 for the front edge of the temperature-control panels 50 is formed at the bearing strips 18 respectively at the front end—in the side view of FIG. 1a in a non-visible position arranged in the depth area of the front upright profile 41a—, [and] the third bearing strip 18 from above and the bearing strips 18 that are positioned further downwards are even longer, what results behind the rear end of the temperature-control panels 50 in the third and fourth bearing strip 18 from above is a respectively increasing gap to the back side of the dispensing shelf 1.

(47) This is tolerated in order to reduce the number of different lengths and thus structural designs of the temperature-control panels 50, and is safe as long as both storage spaces 2, that is, below and above the temperature-control panel 50 that are dividing them as well as the gaps behind it, are temperature-controlled to approximately the same temperature. If this is not the case, this gap has to be closed by means of a fitting covering strip which preferably extends continuously from the left to the right bearing strip 18.

(48) The temperature-control panel 50′ resting at the lowermost level and thus the lowermost bearing strip 18, which in most cases extends horizontally, is additionally insulated on its bottom side to avoid radiation of heat—in a heating plate 50—downwards into the base space 12.

(49) FIGS. 3a, b show the design of the temperature-control panels 50, 50′ in detail, and namely FIG. 3a in the top view from above, that is, onto the main plane 51′ of the temperature-control panel, FIG. 3b in the front view in a partially sectioned manner, and FIG. 3c in the side view.

(50) This clearly shows that the temperature-control panel 50, 50′ respectively consists of a composite plate 51, that is, quasi the main plate at which diverse attachment parts are attached.

(51) It is referred to as a composite plate 51 because—as shown in FIGS. 4a-c in the cross section—this composite plate 51 consists of a flat top plate 51a and a flat bottom plate 51b, which are preferably both glass plates, and which, together with a temperature-control layer 56 that is fixedly attached between then, from the composite plate 51 which has a main plane 51′ that is positioned in parallel to the top side and/or the bottom side of the composite plate 51 which usually extend in parallel to each other. Thus, as a general rule, the main plane 51′ of the composite plate 51 is also the main plane of the temperature-control panel 50, since the attachment parts present in addition to the composite plate 51 have a much lower extension as compared to the composite plate 51.

(52) The temperature-control layer 56 can be made of any desired material, but contains electrically conductive elements 56a, for example heating wires 56a that can be heated by means of electrical current, and heat up the top plate 51a and the bottom plate 51b to the desired temperature.

(53) To measure this temperature, temperature sensors 57 are further arranged between the top plate 51a and the bottom plate 51b, with their signals reaching the control unit 66 and the associated power supply unit 43 to which the temperature-control panels 50 are connected, preferably via the cable that conducts the electrical current to the conductive elements 56a.

(54) The temperature sensors 57 are preferably arranged in the adhesive layer 68 to which the temperature-control layer 56 is adhesively bonded respectively opposite one of the glass plates, preferably on its bottom side and on its top side.

(55) Further, the left end of the sectional renderings of FIGS. 4a-c show solutions for covering the temperature-control layer 56 that is visible and accessible from the front face:

(56) In a first solution according to FIG. 4a, a cover strip 69, which is preferably made of stainless steel, extends across the entire thickness D, that is, height, of the composite plate 51, but does not project beyond the same in height, and also does not surround the upper or lower edge of the composite plate 51, since inner corners and inner edges at which dirt can collect would be formed in this way.

(57) However, this solution has the disadvantage that such a cover strip 69, especially if it is made of a material with a higher thermal conductivity than glass, can cause burns easier when touched than when e.g. the top side of the top plate 51a made of glass is touched. Especially with the frontal narrow side of the composite plate 51, the temperature-control panel 50, this frontal narrow side should preferably be protected, e.g. by a cross bar 17 that is arranged in front of it in the base frame 19 and extends at a small distance in front of the cover strip 69:

(58) In FIG. 1c, such a cross bar 17, which can be attached between a left and a right front upright profile 41a, preferably by simply suspending it, is shown in an enlarged sectional rendering as being positioned too low for this function, serving preferably as a price tag holder as a price tag unit 28 can be attached thereat, as can be seen in this sectional rendering:

(59) It consists of a price tag holder 23 in the form of a plastic material profile that is cranked multiple times in the cross section and extends in the same direction, the width direction 31, as the cross bar 17:

(60) In the upper area of the price tag holder 23, it is cranked three times by respectively approximately 90°, so that what results is an almost closed, approximately rectangular inner contour into which the cross section of the cross bar 17 fits. Since the material of the price tag holder 23 is sufficiently elastic, this multiply cranked structure can be bent open so far that the price tag holder 23 can be pinned onto the cross bar 17 from above.

(61) In the lower area, the price tag holder 23 is cranked once by approximately 180° and thus forms a U-shaped pocket that is open upwards, and into which the price tag 24 for the products offered in the corresponding level, usually the level below the cross bar 17, can be inserted from above.

(62) Thus, the entire price tag unit 23 is located in the area of the dimensions of the base frame 19, since the cross bar 17 is positioned not in front, but in the depth area of the front upright profiles 41a, and is thus protected behind the front storage front doors 11.

(63) To protect the frontal narrow side of the temperature-control panel 50, the cross bar 17 could be arranged higher so as to cover the same.

(64) FIG. 1c further shows another design of the front side 3 of a dispensing shelf 1, namely where the storage front plates 11 are respectively embodied as a plate that is to be opened by being pivotable horizontally, extending respectively over a height of the front surface of one of the storage spaces 2 and/or take-out rooms 4.

(65) In this solution, a damper for slowing down the gravity-caused closing motion is present preferably in the joint of each of these storage front plates 11 embodied as flaps, that is, about the plate pivot axis 47.

(66) In a second variant, FIG. 4b shows a cover strip 69′ that is offset backwards with respect to the frontmost front face of top plate 51a and bottom plate 51b, and in this way can be touched less easily:

(67) Here, the cover strip 69′, which is also bar-shaped, that is, rectangular in the cross section, either extends only in the thickness area of the temperature-control layer 56 and the adhesive layers 68, or the glass plates are chamfered at their rim that is respectively facing the other glass plate—as shown in FIG. 4c—, so that the backwards offset cover strip 69″ can have a rhombic or triangular cross-sectional shape, and can be better adhesively bonded to the glass plates 51a, 51b due to their larger contact surface with them.

(68) In the renderings of FIGS. 3a, b, c such optional cover strips 69, which are in particular arranged along the front side and/or also the side surfaces, are indicated only in partial areas.

(69) Instead of stainless steel, such cover strips 69 can also consist of a different material, with its thermal conductivity preferably being not greater than that of glass, in particular of plastic material. In particular in the structural design according to FIG. 4c, such a cover strip 69 made of a paste-like material, such as for example silicone, can be applied and subsequently cured.

(70) FIGS. 3a, b, c primarily show the other attachment parts at the composite plate 51, which in most cases consist of stainless steel sheets:

(71) For one thing, the protective coating 59 in the form of a stainless steel strip that is visible in the front view of FIG. 3b in the left area and that extends in the edge area along one of the side edges 51.2, 51.3 of the composite plate 51, namely in the support area 58 or also in a slightly wider or more narrow design, in the depth direction 30 preferably across the entire extension of the composite plate 51 on its bottom side.

(72) The width of the protective coating 59, that is, the support area 58, can be of the same size or larger, wider or narrower than the surface with which the temperature-control panel 50 laterally rests on the bearing strips 18 in the mounted state.

(73) At the back side, that is, along the rear edge 51.4, of the composite plate 51, a rear profile 70 is arranged, extending in the transversal direction 31 and in most cases being made as bent sheet metal parts from stainless steel, and having multiple functions:

(74) For one thing, the rear profile 70 projects as a rear bar 61—substantially across the entire width of the rear edge 51.4 of the composite plate 51—upwards beyond its top side, and is supposed to prevent that products P placed on the composite plate 51 are accidentally pushed back so far backwards by the removing person 100 that they are dropped down over the rear edge 51.4 of the composite plate 51.

(75) For another thing, a cable 64 that provides current to the temperature-control layer 56 extends out from the rear area, in particular the rearward narrow side, of the composite plate 51, as shown in FIG. 4a, and in most cases does so not in a corner area of the composite plate 51, but in the central area.

(76) To guide this cable 64 to the side, that is, to one of the rear upright profiles 41a at which a cable channel 29 is attached in a vertically extending manner for guiding these cables 64, this rear profile 70 is at the same time used as a cable guide at the bottom side of the composite plate 51 via which it extends downwards and outwards, as can be seen in FIG. 3c:

(77) As viewed in the side view, that is, in the extension direction of this rear profile 70, for this purpose, the rear profile 70 has the cross sectional shape of a U-shaped cable duct 71 that is open towards the back in the area below the composite plate 51, so that the cable 64 can be placed inside it and can be guided towards the side.

(78) This rear profile 70 is attached, preferably adhesively bonded, with the upper leg of the U-shaped cable duct 71 only at the bottom side of the composite plate 51, and has the cross-sectional shape that is shown in FIG. 3c, consisting of the U-shaped cable duct 71 and the rear bar 61 that projects upwards from the free end of its upper legs.

(79) A further attachment part can be a protective cover 59, which does not extend only over the support area 58 as a strip extending in the depth direction along the bottom side of the composite plate 51, as shown in FIG. 3b in the left area, but substantially across the entire bottom side of the composite plate 51, and of course also in the support area 58, where it is supposed to provide a thermal insulation against the bearing strips 18 on top of which the temperature-control panel 50 rests.

(80) This is necessary in the lowermost of multiple temperature-control panels 50 in a dispensing shelf 1 to prevent any heat radiation of a heating plate downwards into the non-heated storage space 2 which is located below it, in most cases in the lowermost level, to avoid a radiation of heat into the base space 12 located below.

(81) Such a continuous protective coating 59 is then preferably embodied as a tray with a dipped portion in the central area, where in this way an insulating layer 60 of thermally insulating material is present in the created distance between bottom side of the composite plate 51 and the sunk-in central area of the tub-shaped protective cover 59.

(82) The edges that are curved upwards and extend in parallel to the main plane of the tub-shaped protective cover 59 are preferably present in the side areas—for the function as an intermediate layer between the composite plate 51 and the supporting bearing strips 18 in the support area 58—and in the front area—as a visual protection towards the front to avoid that the insulating layer 60 can be seen—and preferably also in the area of the back side, that is, present circumferentially.

(83) Due to the overhang downwards over the bottom side of the composite plate 51, the cable duct 71 at the same time forms a gripping bar 62 at which the personnel can grip the temperature-control panel 50 and pull it backwards out of the base frame 19.

(84) Further, it can be seen in the top view of FIG. 3a that the two front corners of the composite plate 51 of the temperature-control panel 50 have respectively one corner recess 63, extending in a rectangular manner with the legs in parallel to the outer edges of the composite plate 51 and having a rounded inner corner, with the latter serving to prevent the generation of interior tensions in the glass plates.

(85) The extension of the recess 63 in the width direction 31 is larger than the width of the upright profiles 41a, as viewed in the top view from above, and the extension in the depth direction 30 is larger than the extension of the front upright profile 41a which extends in the depth direction 30 partially and in the width direction 31 completely inside the corner recess 63.

(86) In the state in which it is inserted into the dispensing shelf 1, the temperature-control panel 50 is preferably positioned in the base frame in such a manner that the usually obliquely forwards tilted temperature-control panel 50 abuts at each side at a front stop 8 with the front edge 51.1 of its composite plate 51—which in FIG. 3a is only shown on one side—, with the front stop 8 being preferably attached at the bearing strip 18 (see FIG. 2a, b), so that, with its cross section, the frontal upright profile 41a is located partially in the corner recess 63 without touching the composite plate 51. However, the front edge of the composite plate 51 is offset backwards with respect to the front edge of the cross section of the front upright profile 41a, so that the cross bar 17 with the price tag unit 28 can still be accommodated in the forwards overhang of the front upright profile 41a, as shown in the enlarged rendering of a section in FIG. 1c.

(87) The width of the composite plate 51 as measured in the width direction 31 and thus the width of the temperature-control panel 50 is chosen in such a manner that, in the mounted state, it extends up to or close to the outer edges of the bearing strips 18 on which it rests, but not to beyond the base frame 19.

(88) The top view of FIG. 3a onto the composite plate 51 further shows the possibly present temperature-control areas 52a, b that are to be temperature-controlling independently of each other:

(89) For one thing, due to manufacturing reasons, each composite plate 51 has a non-heated, because un-heatable, edge area 53 that is present at least on two facing sides, in this case extending along the depth direction 30. The width of this non-heated edge area 53 is larger than the width of the support area 58 in which for example the composite plate 51 is supposed to rest on the bearing strip 18 located below.

(90) However, the area located inside, that is, between the two non-heated edge areas 53, is preferably not only one single temperature-control area:

(91) Rather, preferably there is a ring-shaped circumferential heated edge area 54 located between the non-heated edge areas 53, that is, inside the non-heated edge areas 53, and also if they are present at all four rims of the preferably rectangular composite plate 51, and this heated edge area 54 encloses a core area 55. In this manner, the heated edge area 54 can be heated up to a higher temperature than the core area 55, independently of whether it extends only in the depth direction or only along the width direction or is formed as a circumferential area, and in this way a kind of warm air curtain from the strongly heated edge area 54 can be created, which reduces the cooling at the cooler lateral boundaries such as side plates 20, rear door 15, or front plate 11.

(92) FIG. 2a, b as well as FIG. 1c show how the bearing strips 18 can be designed.

(93) For one thing, the bearing strip 18 comprises a V-profile 34 that is arranged horizontally in the mounted state and substantially extends in the depth direction 30, in the case of an tilted arrangement of the bearing strip 18 with respect to the depth direction of course as viewed in the extension direction of the bearing strips 18.

(94) This V-profile 34 is usually a bent sheet metal part and has an upper leg 34a and a lower leg 34b, wherein the V-profile 34 points inwards with the tip 13 of its cross-sectional shape, that is, towards the center of the dispensing shelf 1, and points outwards with its open side.

(95) The upper leg 34a has a bent profile with an obtuse angle, so that in the mounted state the free end area of this upper leg 34 extends horizontally up to the crank portion with its cross section, while, due to the crank portion, the area that extends thereat in the direction of the tip 13 drops off obliquely downwards in the direction towards the center of the dispensing shelf 1.

(96) Here, the horizontally extending end area is wider than the width of a front upright profile 41a regarded in this front view up to the outer edge of which this free end area of the upper leg 34a extends if the fixation appliance 36 that extends downwards from the bottom side of this end area and thus of the upper leg 34a, namely a vertically positioned plate-shaped screw lug 36, is screwed on the inwards pointing surface of such an upright profile 41a.

(97) In that case, a front stop 8 projects upwards over the top side of the upper leg 34a within the remaining distance in the width direction 31 between the inner-side surface of the upright profile 41a and the crank portion in the upper leg 34a, for placing the temperature-control panel 50.

(98) For this reason, the screw lug 36 that projects forwards beyond the frontal end of the upper leg 34a (see FIGS. 3a and 3a1) and the front stop 8 on the front side of the V-profile 34 can be manufactured as a combined bent sheet metal part, which only has to be welded on preferably at the bottom side of the upper legs 34a, as can also be seen in the top view of FIG. 1b2.

(99) The fixation appliance 36, in particular in the form of the plate-shaped screw lug 36, usually has no upwards projecting stop part at the rear end of the bearing strip 18, that is, of the V-profile 34, in which it projects backwards beyond the rear end of the V-profile.

(100) The lower leg 34b extends in principle obliquely outwards and downwards, but optionally concretely only in its outer end area, since the lower leg 34b also has a cranking with an obtuse angle, as a result of which the area between the upper end of the obliquely tilted end area and the tip 13 of the V-profile 34 extends in an approximately horizontal manner.

(101) A light bar 40 is attached at the obliquely tilted end area on the bottom side of the lower leg 34b, for which purpose an attachment device 32, e.g. in the form of an aperture, is present at each end of the V-profile 34.

(102) Like in FIG. 1a, also in FIG. 1c, the base front plate 16 is shown attached as a flap at its upper edge at the height of the lowermost depth profile 41b so as to be pivotable via a hinge.

(103) The power supply 43 and control unit 66 for the electrically operated temperature-control panels 50 in a dispensing shelf 1 are accommodated inside the base space 12, as shown in FIGS. 1a, b, c.

(104) For this purpose, the cables 64 of the individual temperature-control panels 50 that are guided downwards in the cable channel 29 to the control unit 66 and the power supply 43—and that are dimensioned to be sufficiently long for this purpose—respectively have a plug 65 at their free end.

(105) Either as a separate structural component or at the back side of the power supply unit 43—which in most cases is formed integrally together with the control unit 66—, fitting plug sockets 67a to 67d are located, into which respectively a plug 65 of an temperature-control panel 50, 50′ can be inserted and above all can also be pulled out of it if this temperature-control panel 50, 50′ is either to be replaced by another temperature-control panel 50, 50′ or another dividing element 6, such as for example a simple bearing shell 6, is to be inserted in its stead in the dispensing shelf 1.

(106) If the control unit 66 and the power supply unit 43 are designed integrally—as shown in FIGS. 1a, 1b, 1c—it is usually mounted in the base space 12 in the upper area at the base frame 19 with a backwards pointing operating unit 66a in its front side, as indicated in FIG. 1a, in which the necessary display elements and switches as well as controllers are provided, and the plug bar 67 with the individual plug sockets 67a to 67d is arranged either on the front side of the combined unit 66, 43, as shown in FIG. 1b—in that case, however, offset backwards at a sufficient distance from the front side 3 of the base space 12 to facilitate insertion of the plug 65—or on the side surface of the combined unit 66, 43, as shown in FIG. 1c.

(107) FIGS. 2a, 2b further show detailed renderings of the side plates 20, which are indicated in FIG. 1a in the upper two levels, in different attachment types in the vertical section:

(108) In FIG. 2b, the attachment of the side plate 20 is shown by way of example for one of the compartments, that is, of the levels, of the dispensing shelf 1 at the height between two dividing elements 6 in the form of temperature-control panels 50 which with their lateral support areas 59 rest on bearing strips 18 that are screwed on at the inner surfaces of an upright profile 41a in the front and in the back.

(109) Here, the side plate 20 is located in the width area of the front and rear upright profiles 41a, and with its front and rear rim is held in its position by means of two clamp parts 39 that in most cases are present in a manner arranged above and at a distance to each other in height and are attached at the upright profile 41a, as can be seen in FIG. 1a.

(110) In the enlarged view of FIG. 2b it can be seen that these can be two individual angular profiles which are attached with one leg at the upright profile 41a and with the other two facing legs clamp in the side plate 20 in between them, for example.

(111) The side plates 20 can also have holes through which a screw connection with respect to the at least one angle profile can be realized, which, however, is to be avoided in order to avoid contamination-relevant rims and individual parts.

(112) Thus, the side plate 20—in most cases formed as a translucent side panel 20—is fixated in an immovable manner between the front and the rear upright profiles 41a, and also substantially fills the height distance between the temperature-control panels 50 located above and below it.

(113) This solution will be chosen if the storage space 2 is at the same time the removal space 4, that is, if the products P are taken out from the front side, for example in the case that a single dispensing shelf is set up.

(114) In contrast, FIG. 2a shows a solution in which a removal space 4—preferably accommodated in a further dispensing shelf 1—is located laterally next to the inner space that is only used as a storage space 2 in the compartment of a dispensing shelf 1.

(115) In that case, a reach back protection device 9 is present between the two spaces 2, 4, so that the removing person 100 has to first push the product P that is placed in the storage space 2 on the temperature-control panel 50 to take it out by means of a tool 37, such as for example a slider 33 (see also FIG. 1a), which substantially extends through the closed front side 3, namely has to first push it from the storage space 2 into an adjoining removal space 4 onto a dividing element 6 present there—which does not need to be heated—to then be able to reach into the removal space 4 from the front side and take out the desired product from the same.

(116) To avoid that the product is pushed back from the removal space 4 into the storage space 2, the side plate 20 is arranged as a reach back protection device 9 between the frontal and rear upright profile 41a in a manner to be pivotable about a pivot axis 49 that usually extends horizontally. As viewed in the front view of FIG. 2a, the pivot axis 49 is located laterally outside the side plate 20 and is mounted in a pivotable manner in a fitting hat profile that is attached, for example in an adhesive manner, at the rear and front end of the side plate 20 on the outer side of the same.

(117) The pivot axis 49 projects respectively in the direction of the central area of the side plate 20 from a base plate 72 that extends vertically in the width direction in front and behind the front and rear end of the side plate 20 and is arranged at respectively one of the facing outer surfaces of one of the upright profiles 41a.

(118) This base plate 72 forms a suspension device 10 together with a carrier pin 73 that projects from the upright profile 41a in the direction towards the other front or rear upright profile 41a in the depth direction 30. The suspension device 10 may comprise, for example, a hooking device.

(119) For this purpose, the base plate 72 has an L-shaped recess 74 that opens into one of its side edges and that is dimensioned in such a manner that the unit consisting of side plate 20 and base plates 72 that are attached thereat in the front and in the back can be suspended on the front and rear carrier pin 73 at the front and rear upright profile 41a by the two base plates 72 being respectively pushed over a carrier pin 73 with the orifice of their L-shaped recess until the carrier pin 73 rests in the upwards pointing closed end of the L-shaped recess 74.

(120) Here, the carrier pin 73 is still located in the height area of the side plate 20, and since also the carrier pin 73 as well as the pivot axis 49 are located on the outer side of the side plate 20 (as viewed in the depth direction) with respect to the center of the dispensing shelf 1, the carrier pin 73 acts as a stop for the upper end of the side plate 20 located above the pivot axis 49 if the side plate 20 is pivoted about the pivot axis 49.

(121) Thus, the suspended part of the side plate 20 located below the pivot axis 49 can be pivoted in the direction of the storage space 2 only by a small angle, namely until its upper area touches the carrier pin 73, which of course has to extend in the depth direction 30 up into the depth area of the side plate 20.

(122) However, this small pivotation of the side plate 20 is not sufficient to push a product that is already present in the removal space 4 back into the storage space 2, or to reach from the removal space 4 into the storage space 2 with the hand.

(123) However, in contrast to that, the side plate 20 can be pivoted to an unlimited degree, that is, also up to a horizontal position, in the other direction, that is, with the lower end of the side plate 20 in the direction towards the removal space 4, so that the product P can be easily pushed under it into the removal space 4, also pushing the side plate 20 in front of it until it is pivoted back over the product P into its vertically suspended start position.

(124) However, this pivotability of the side plate 20 with the lower area outwards with respect to the dispensing shelf has a second important function when it comes to temperature-control panels 50 as dividing elements 6:

(125) For, due to the non-heated lateral edge area 53, these temperature-control panels 50 reach all the way up to or to close to the outer edge of the base frame and thus of the upright profiles 41a.

(126) For taking out the temperature-control panels 50 backwards from the base frame 19, they accordingly have to be positioned obliquely at first, so that they can be passed in between the rear upright profiles 41a.

(127) But since the perpendicularly positioned or suspended side plate 20 is located in the width area of the upright profile 41a in the normal state, and thus in the width direction 31 above of the [lateral] edge area of the temperature-control panel 50, it is only possible if the lower area of the side plate can be pivoted outwards so far with respect to the dispensing shelf 1 that the edge area of the temperature-control panel 50 located below it can be pivoted upwards past the pivoted side plate 20 into the oblique position that is necessary for taking out the temperature-control panel 50 backwards, as shown in FIG. 2a by a dashed line.

PARTS LIST

(128) 1 dispensing shelf 2 storage space 2′ storage area 3 front side of the storage space 4 removal space 5 removal opening 6 bearing shell, dividing element, compartment base 7 rear stop 8 front stop 9 reach back protection device 10 suspension device 11 disc, storage front plate 12 base space 12′ base area 13 tip 14 tool opening 15 rear door 16 base front plate 17 cross bar 18 bearing strip 19 frame, base frame 20 side plate 21 hinge 22 back side 23 price tag holder 24 price tag 25 closing damper 26 magnet 27 stop damper 28 price tag unit 29 cable channel 30 depth direction 31 width direction, transversal direction 32 attachment device 33 spoon, slider 34 V-profile 34a upper leg 34b lower leg 35 stop 36 fixation appliance, screw lug 37 tool 38 offset distance 39 clamp part 40 light bar 41 profile 41a upright profile 41b depth profile 41c cross profile 42 cover plate 43 power supply unit 44 vertical line 45 latch 46 recess 47 plate pivot axis 48 latch mechanism 49 pivot axis 50 temperature-control panel 51 composite plate 51.1 front edge 51.2/3 side edge 51.4 rear edge 51′ main plane 51a top plate 51b bottom plate 52a, b temperature-control area 53 non-heated edge area 54 heated edge area 55 core area 56 temperature-control layer 56a heating wire, electrically conductive element 57 temperature sensor 58 support area 59 protective coating, stainless steel plate 60 insulating layer 61 rear bar 62 gripping bar 63 corner recess 64 cable 65 plug 66 control unit 66a operating unit 67 socket connector 67a, b plug socket 68 adhesive layer 69 cover strip 70 rear profile 71 cable duct 72 base plate 73 carrier pin 74 recess 100 removing person 101 hand 200 base surface D thickness P product