Refrigerated display case

Claim 1

In a refrigerated food product display case of the type that comprises a stationary display fixture having a vertical back wall, an open front through which a customer is permitted unimpeded access to the interior of the case and across which an air curtain extends to isolate the displayed products from a surrounding store area, a rear duct extending downwardly along said back wall, and an upper duct in communication with the rear duct and projecting forwardly from the back wall, said upper duct having a discharge opening at its forward end through which air is discharged at the front of the case to form the air curtain, said case further comprising a product display cart rollable into and out of said fixture, the improvement that comprises: a. a recessed floor surface formed in and opening upwardly into the store area directly below the fixture and generally coextensive with the fixture from front to back thereof; and b. a base for said fixture in the form of a horizontal plate therein that defines the bottom of the fixture and cooperates with the back wall, upper duct, and the front of the fixture to define the interior of the case, said plate providing a surface upon which the cart is directly supported, the plate covering said recessed floor surface to define therebetween a lower duct bounding and disposed wholly outside the case interior below the surrounding floor area of the store, the plate being level with the floor area of the store surrounding said recessed floor surface, said plate intersecting with the lower extremity of the back wall and said lower and rear ducts extending into communication with each other at the intersection of the base plate and the back wall, one at least of the back wall and the front of the case having a cart passage extending fully to the floor level surrounding the recessed floor surface to define an opening through which the cart may be rolled into and out of the case.