REFRIDGERATED DISPLAY CHEST

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a refrigerated display chest comprising a display platform supporting the goods to be refrigerated and displayed, a cooler and means for venting an air flow. The cooler may be an evaporator.

[0002] Refrigerated display chests comprise means for cooling air and means for venting an air flow. The cooled air flow is directed into the display area where the goods to be refrigerated are supported by a display platform. The space above the display platform supporting the goods to be refrigerated is called the display area. Two operational principles are known for directing the flow of the cooling air. According to the first principle, an inlet for cooled air into the display area is provided at one side of the refrigerated display chest and an outlet is provided at the opposite side. According to the second principle, an inlet for cooled air into the display area is provided in the middle of the refrigerated display chest and outlets are provided at two sides located opposite to each other. Both principles have in common that the flow direction of the cooled air remains the same for the whole operation time of the refrigerated display case, i. e. as long as goods are refrigerated.

[0003] The present invention is provoked by the cognition that the temperature distribution in such a refrigerated display chest is to a certain extent inhomogeneous, because of the cooling air is becoming warmer on its way from the inlet to the outlet. Especially for open-top refrigerated display chests the average difference in the temperature of goods between the coldest area at the air inlet side and the warmest area at the air outlet side in the display area is about 6 °K.

[0004] In US 4 723 414 A there is disclosed a low-temperature showcase wherein evaporators are installed in the vent ports located at both sides of a storage chamber, respectively associated therewith, and a blast fan which can rotate reversibly is installed in the air passage, and thereby the two evaporators are put in cooling operation alternatively. A cooling operation by one of the evaporators is performed alternately every time by a timer, that is, every two hours. Then, for example, when one evaporator is put in cooling operation, the other evaporator is defrosted by a corresponding electric heater.

[0005] EP 0 862 878 A1 discloses a refrigerator display cabinet for furnishing refrigerated goods has a vertical duct, which is surrounded by a magazine which is filled with the goods from above, and at its lower part is surrounded by a bottom, on which the goods rest and which at its periphery has an opening for taking the goods out. A fan is arranged to bring air which is refrigerated by a cooling element to flow upwards through the duct and then between goods located in the upper part of the magazine, from where the air flows downwards between goods located in the lower part of the magazine and out through holes in the bottom and then back to the fan. Means are arranged to reverse the circulation direction of the air from time to time so that the air periodically will flow in opposite direction through the display cabinet.

[0006] Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerated display chest with a more homogeneous temperature distribution.

[0007] To meet said object, the invention provides a refrigerated display chest according to claim 1.

[0008] Therefore, the former coldest and warmest areas do no longer occur. The change of flow direction prevents the build up of such areas and an in essence homogeneous temperature distribution can be achieved. As a result, in case of a refrigerated display chest of the present invention, the area which was the warmest in conventional refrigerated display chests has a lower average temperature than in the prior art.

[0009] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention at least one of the means for cooling and the means for venting an air flow are located underneath the display platform. This is especially useful to create a balanced flow of the cooled air along the sides of the refrigerated display case. In addition, in essence the whole length and width of the refrigerated display chest can be used as display area without any cooling means obstructing.

[0010] In accordance with the present invention the means for venting comprise at least two fans being operated alternately, with the blowing direction of one of the fans being opposite to the blowing direction of the other one of the fans.

[0011] As the two fans are operated alternately, the resulting blowing direction, and in turn the air flow direction, alternate correspondingly.

[0012] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention the cooling means or cooler comprises at least two cooling elements. For example evaporators are used as cooling elements, e.g. evaporators, which may have fins the air to be cooled flows through.

[0013] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention there are provided two cooling elements, one cooling element is arranged on one side and the other cooling element is arranged on the other side of the means for venting. This arrangement is especially useful to make sure there is no snow build up at the outlet of the cooling air, where the cooling air leaves the display area. In the prior art devices like air baffles or air flow distributors are used at the blowing side of the fan to improve the distribution of the cooled air. The same devices are not useful at the suction side of the fan where the cooling air is sucked in again after having cooled the displayed goods, because of the possibility of the aforementioned build up of snow which could occur due to the cooling air being almost saturated with moisture at this point. According to the present invention both sides have to be able to function as blowing side and as suction side. To improve the distribution of the cooled air without the risk of snow build up a cooling element is provided at each side of the means for venting. Each cooling element for example comprises an evaporator with fins suitable to be located at either side. The fins improve the distribution of the cooled air at the blowing side, but do not cause any build up of snow at the suction side.

[0014] Embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to Figures wherein:

Fig. 1

shows a first embodiment of a refrigerated display chest not according to the present invention;

Fig. 2

shows a refrigerated display chest according to the present invention;

Fig. 3

shows a second embodiment of a refrigerated display chest not according to the present invention;

[0015] Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of a refrigerated display chest 1 not according to the invention, comprising a display platform 2 supporting the goods to be refrigerated, cooling means (3a, 3b) and means for venting (4) an air flow which is a fan 4 in the embodiment shown in the Figure. In the embodiment shown in the Figure, the cooling means are embodied as two cooling elements 3a, 3b each being located at a different side of the fan 4. Adjacent to side walls 5 of the refrigerated display chest 1, there are arranged air channels 6 each having a lower inlet/outlet 7 located adjacent to one of the cooling elements 3a and 3b, and an upper inlet/outlet 8 for blowing/sucking the air to/from the display area above the display platform 2.

[0016] The means for venting (4) are designed to be able to change the air flow direction during operation of the refrigerated display chest 1. In the embodiment using a fan 4, the fan 4 changes its direction of rotation every few minutes, for example. This means that the blowing side and the suction side alternate. With the air flow direction alternating every few minutes a quite homogeneous temperature distribution over the display area is achieved.

[0017] In Fig. 1, one air flow direction is indicated by black arrows, the other air flow direction is indicated by white arrows.

[0018] Fig. 2 shows the refrigerated display chest of the invention having venting means in the form of two fans 4b each arranged in a different air flow channel 10a and 10b, respectively. to each of the fans 4a and 4b is associated one cooler 3a and 3b, respectively, arranged in the same channel as the associated fan 4a and 4b, respectively. The fans 4a and 4b are operated alternately so that only one of the fans 4a and 4b is operated at a time. The fans 4a and 4b have different blowing directions so that there result alternating air flows through channel 10a and channel 10b resulting in alternating air flow direction above the display platform 2.

[0019] Fig. 3 shows a second embodiment of a refrigerated display chest not according to the invention having a single cooler 3 and at least one fan 4. The fan or fans 4 is/are operated with alternating blowing direction.

Claims

1. Refrigerated display chest (1) adapted to provide a more homogeneous temperature distribution in the display chest comprising a display platform (2) supporting the goods to be refrigerated, a cooler (3a, 3b) and means for venting (4) an air flow, wherein the means for venting (4) change the flow direction of the cooled air flow during operation of the refrigerated display chest (1), wherein the means for venting (4) comprise at least two fans operated alternately, the fans having opposite blowing directions.

2. Refrigerated display chest (1) according to claim 1 wherein the cooler (3a, 3b) is located underneath the display platform (2).

3. Refrigerated display chest (1) according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the means for venting (4) an air flow are located underneath the display platform (2).

4. Refrigerated display chest (1) according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the cooler (3a, 3b) comprises at least two cooling elements (3a, 3b).

5. Refrigerated display chest (1) according to claim 4 having two cooling elements (3a, 3b) wherein on each side of the means for venting (4), one of the cooling elements (3a, 3b) is provided.

6. Refrigerated display chest (1) according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the cooler (3a, 3b) comprises one cooling element (3).

Ansprüche

1. Präsentations-Kühltruhe (1), die angepasst ist, um eine homogenere Temperaturverteilung in der Präsentations-Truhe bereitzustellen, die eine Präsentationsplattform (2), die die zu kühlenden Waren abstützt, eine Kühlvorrichtung (3a, 3b) und Mittel zum Entlüften (4) eines Luftstromes umfasst, wobei die Mittel zum Entlüften (4) die Strömungsrichtung des gekühlten Luftstromes während des Betriebs der Präsentations-Kühltruhe (1) verändern, wobei die Mittel zum Entlüften (4) wenigstens zwei Lüfter umfassen, die abwechselnd betrieben werden, wobei die Lüfter entgegengesetzte Blasrichtungen aufweisen.

2. Präsentations-Kühltruhe (1) nach Anspruch 1, wobei sich die Kühlvorrichtung (3a, 3b) unter der Präsentationsplattform (2) befindet.

3. Präsentations-Kühltruhe (1) nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, wobei sich die Mittel zum Entlüften (4) eines Luftstromes unter der Präsentationsplattform (2) befinden.

4. Präsentations-Kühltruhe (1) nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 3, wobei die Kühlvorrichtung (3a, 3b) wenigstens zwei Kühlelemente (3a, 3b) umfasst.

5. Präsentations-Kühltruhe (1) nach Anspruch 4, die zwei Kühlelemente (3a, 3b) aufweist, wobei auf jeder Seite der Mittel zum Entlüften (4) eins der Kühlelemente (3a, 3b) bereitgestellt ist.

6. Präsentations-Kühltruhe (1) nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 3, wobei die Kühlvorrichtung (3a, 3b) ein Kühlelement (3) umfasst.

Revendications

1. Vitrine réfrigérée (1) conçue pour fournir une distribution de température plus homogène dans la vitrine comprenant une plateforme d'exposition (2) soutenant les marchandises qui doivent être réfrigérées, un refroidisseur (3a, 3b) et des moyens de ventilation (4) d'un flux d'air, dans lequel les moyens de ventilation (4) modifient la direction de flux du flux d'air refroidi au cours du fonctionnement de la vitrine réfrigérée (1), dans lequel les moyens de ventilation (4) comprennent au moins deux ventilateurs fonctionnant de façon alternée, les ventilateurs ayant des directions de ventilation opposée.

2. Vitrine réfrigérée (1) selon la revendication 1, dans laquelle le refroidisseur (3a, 3b) est situé en dessous de la plateforme d'exposition (2).

3. Vitrine réfrigérée (1) selon la revendication 1 ou 2, dans laquelle les moyens de ventilation (4) d'un flux d'air sont situés en dessous de la plateforme d'exposition (2).

4. Vitrine réfrigérée (1) selon les revendications 1 à 3, dans laquelle le refroidisseur (3a, 3b) comprend au moins deux éléments de refroidissement (3a, 3b).

5. Vitrine réfrigérée (1) selon la revendication 4, ayant deux éléments de refroidissement (3a, 3b) dans laquelle sur chaque côté des moyens de ventilation (4), un des éléments de ventilation (3a, 3b) est placé.

6. Vitrine réfrigérée (1) selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 3, dans laquelle le refroidisseur (3a, 3b) comprend un élément de refroidissement (3).

Drawing