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(11) | EP 0 117 043 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Refrigeration cabinet |
| (57) The present invention relates to a refrigeration cabinet 1 suitable for storing dairy
products on a wheeled carrier 27. The cabinet 1 has opposed side walls 2, a rear wall
3 and a roof 4 defining a storage space 5. A refrigeration unit 6 and air flow generation
means 7, 8, 9 are arranged for circulating chilled air from the refrigeration unit
6 downwardly through and to the front of the storage space 5. According to this invention
there is provided a detachable upwardly extending skirt means 16 at the base 15 of
the front 14 of said cabinet 1 and the air flow generation means 7, 8, 9 includes
duct means 23 having an inlet 22 in proximity to the rear of the base of said skirt
16 and extending rearwardly from said inlet 22 substantially below said storage space
5 to the rear of said storage space 5 whereby in use of the device chilled air F is
circulated downwardly across the front of the storage space 5 and then under the storage
space 5. |
[0001] This invention relates to a refrigeration cabinet suitable for storing dairy products on a wheeled carrier.
[0002] Such cabinets are convenient because they permit ready stocking and restocking by simply wheeling suitable carriers into and out of the storage space. The efficiency of known cabinets of this type is however significantly limited by the relatively poor air flow patterns which result in uneven cooling and loss of chilled air resulting in high energy consumption.
[0003] It is an object of the present invention to avoid or minimize one or more of the above disadvantages.
[0004] The present invention provides a refrigeration cabinet suitable for storing dairy products on a wheeled carrier, said cabinet having opposed side walls,,a rear wall and a roof defining a storage space and provided with a refrigeration unit and air flow generation means arranged for circulating in use, chilled air from the refrigeration unit downwardly through and to the front of said storage space, wherein is provided a detachable upwardly extending skirt means at the base of the front of said cabinet and wherein said air flow generation means includes duct means having an inlet in proximity to the rear of the base of said skirt and extending rearwardly from said inlet substantially below said storage space to the rear of said storage space whereby in use of the device chilled air is circulated downwardly across the front of the storage space and then under the storage space.
[0005] With a refrigeration cabinet of the invention there is obtained a more efficient and even cooling of the storage space reducing problems of stock control due to uneven product deterioration.
[0006] Further preferred details and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description given by way of example of a preferred embodiment illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of a refrigeration cabinet of the invention; and
Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the cabinet of Fig. 1.
[0007] In the drawings is shown a refrigeration cabinet 1 comprising opposed side walls 2, a rear wall 3 and a roof 4 defining a storage space 5. A cooler unit 6 is mounted in the roof 4 in series with air flow generation means comprising suitable fans 7,8 and ducting 9.
[0008] In more detail, the ducting includes rear wall ducting 10 extending upwardly along the back wall 3 from a fan 8 at its base to a fan 7 at its upper end, and roof ducting 11 arranged for conveying air through the refriger-- ation unit 6 to a downwardly directed cold air outlet 13 at the front 14 of the cabinet 1 arranged to provide a cold air 'curtain'. Imemdiately in front of the cold air outlet 13 is provided a downwardly directed ambient air outlet 12 through which is forced air by a fan 29 whose intake is at the top of the front 14 of the cabinet. This provides a second, ambient temperature, curtain 30 of air which as shown by the air flow arrows in the drawing spills off a bottom front wall of the cabinet (further described below) and this is not directly recirculated but nevertheless improves efficiency by reducing losses from the cold air curtain. This form of double curtain of air flows is itself known in the art.
[0009] As may be seen in the drawing subsidiary flows of cold air may be employed to provide additional local cooling. One such flow extends below the cooling unit 6 down the back of the storage space 5 to a forwardly directed duct 31 approximately one third of the way down the space 5.
[0010] At the base 15 of the front 14 of the cabinet is provided a skirt means 16 in the form of a lightweight plastics material provided with suitable engaging means formed and arranged for inter-engagement with corresponding engagement means (not shown) on the side walls 2 for releasable fastening of the skirt means 16 in position at the front of the cabinet.
[0011] The skirt means 16 comprises a front wall 17 extending upwardly from the base 18 of the cabinet above the lowermost part of the storage space 5. Behind the front wall 17 are two downwardly extending tapering front ducts 19 whose rear walls 20 stop short of the cabinet base 18 to provide rearwardly directed outlets 21 which line up with the inlets 22 of two spaced apart rearwardly extending floor ducts 23 having outlets 24 which line up directly with the rear wall dueting 10 or indirectly via the fan 8.
[0012] Conveniently the floor ducts 23 are defined at their base by the floor 25 on which the cabinet stands and at the sides and top by sheeting of suitably formed material, preferably a relatively durable and hygienic material such as stainless steel whereby the parts 26 of the sheeting to either side of the floor ducts 23 which parts rest on the floor 25 can support wheeled carriers 27 which can be safely driven repeatedly over said parts 26. As may be seen in Fig. 1 the storage space 5 is formed and dimensioned to receive a pair pf wheeled dairy produce carriers 27 side by side (only one visible) as well as a pair of adjustable shelves 28 for additional produce above the carriers 27.
[0013] In other aspects the refrigeration cabinet construction is substantially conventional with the outer walls generally being insulated where possible and easily cleaned e.g. moulded plastics materials being used wherever possible on the inside in and around the storage space.
[0014] In use a chilled air curtain is directed downwardly across the open front of the cabinet (as shown by the arrows F) into the skirt ducts 19 and then through the floor ducts 23. Thus the chilled air flow is carried right around the front and bottom of the storage space 5 so that a proper cooling of the whole of -it is obtained. At the same time the ready access of wheeled carriers in and out of the storage space is substantially unaffected. an upper edge for deflecting the ambient air flow outwardly of the cabinet (1)
1. A refrigeration cabinet (1) suitable for storing dairy products on a wheeled carrier
(27) said cabinet (1) having opposed side walls (2), a rear wall (3) and-a roof (4)
defining a storage space (5) and provided with a refrigeration unit (6) and air flew
generation means (7, 8, 9) arranged for circulating in use, chilled air from the refrigeration
unit (6) downwardly through and to the front of said storage space (5), characterized
in that there is provided a detachable upwardly extending skirt means (16) at the
base (15) of the front (14) of said cabinet (1) and that said air flow generation
means (7, 8, 9) includes duct means (23) having an inlet (22) in proximity to the
rear of the base of said skirt (16) and extending-rearwardly from said inlet (22)
substantially below said storage space (5) to the rear of said storage space (5) whereby
in use of the device chilled air (F) is circulated downardly across the front of the
storage space (5) and then under the storage space (5).
2. A refrigeration cabinet according to claim 1 wherein said ski.rt means (16) is
provided with downwardly extending duct means (19) with rearwardly directed outlets(24)in
the region of the cabinet base (18).
3. A refrigeration cabinet according to claim 1 or 2 which cabinet (1) is formed and
arranged so that the rearwardly extending duct means (23) are at least partly defined,
in use, by a floor surface (25) on which said refrigeration cabinet (1) stands.
4. A refrigeration cabinet according to any one of the preceeding claims wherein is
provided an ambient air flow generation means (29, 12) formed and arranged for generat- ing a curtain of ambient air across the front of the cabinet (1) substantially
parallel to and on the outside of the chilled air flow across the front of the cabinet
(1), and wherein the skirt means (16) is formed and arranged at