Refrigerated sales cabinets

Abstract

A refrigerated sales cabinet, comprising: a door; a door operating motor; a door opening sensor, the door opening sensor being configured to sense whether a customer's hand touches the door opening sensor or whether the customer's hand moves close to the door opening sensor, and transmitting a door opening signal indicating such touch or such movement to the control unit; and the control unit being configured to drive the door operating motor in response to such door opening signal, so that the door operating motor moves the door to its open position; and / or a door obstacle detection sensor, the door obstacle detection sensor being configured to sense whether an object is positioned to hinder the closing movement of the door, and transmitting a door closing signal indicating that there is no object obstructing to the control unit; and wherein the control unit is configured to drive the door operating motor in response to such door closing signal, so that the door operating motor moves the door to its closed position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a refrigerated vending cabinet. Background Art

[0002] Refrigerated sales cabinets in supermarkets are often equipped with customer-operated doors, either sliding doors or hinged doors, which the customer opens and closes manually.

[0003] Sometimes, customers do not completely close the door after having taken out merchandise from the refrigerated sales space, which results in energy loss as the cooled air flows out of the refrigerated sales space. Similarly, when operating the cabinet in the same manner, whether the door is open or closed, there is energy loss.

[0004] Additionally, such refrigerated vending cabinets are unsanitary because thousands of customers touch the handles to open and close the refrigerated vending cabinets every day.

[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerated merchandising cabinet comprising increased efficiency and improved hygiene.

[0006] This object is fully solved by the refrigerated vending cabinet according to the invention.Particular embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

[0007] A refrigerated sales cabinet according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises: a door; a door operating motor, which is configured to move the door between a closed position and an open position; a control unit; a door opening sensor, in particular a touch or proximity sensor, which is configured to sense whether a customer's hand touches the door opening sensor when the door is in its closed position, or whether the customer's hand moves close to the door opening sensor and transmits a door opening signal indicating such touch or such movement to the control unit; wherein the control unit is configured to drive the door operating motor in response to such door opening signal so that the door operating motor moves the door from its closed position to its open position; and / or a door obstacle detection sensor, in particular a proximity sensor, which is configured to sense whether an object, in particular a person or a body part, is positioned to hinder the closing movement of the door when the door is in its open position, and transmits a door closing signal indicating that there is no object obstructing; and wherein the control unit is configured to drive the door operating motor in response to such door closing signal so that the door operating motor moves the door from its open position to its closed position.

[0008] For opening and closing the door, the customer no longer has to grasp the handle of the door and manually move the door from its closed position to its open position and likewise from its open position to its closed position. Instead, the customer can open the door by touching the door open sensor with his / her hand or by approaching / moving his / her hand close to the door open sensor. The door open sensor, which can be formed as a touch or proximity sensor, will sense that the customer's hand has touched the door open sensor or has moved close to the door open sensor, and transmit a door open signal indicating such touch or movement to the control unit. The control unit will drive the door operating motor in response to such door open signal, so that the door operating motor moves the door from its closed position to its open position.

[0009] The door obstruction detection sensor, which can be formed as a proximity sensor, senses whether an object, in particular a person or a body part, is positioned to hinder the closing movement of the door when the door is in its open position and transmits a door closing signal to the control unit if the object hinders or does not hinder.

[0010] The control unit will drive the door operating motor in response to such a door closing signal so that the door operating motor moves the door from its open position to its closed position.

[0011] The door obstruction detection sensor may further be configured to transmit a door obstruction signal when the door is in its open position, the door obstruction signal indicating that an object, in particular a person or a body part, is positioned to obstruct the closing movement of the door. The control unit will maintain the door in its open position as long as it receives the door obstruction signal from the door obstruction detection sensor.

[0012] When a person or body part or any object is obstructing the closing movement of the door, the capacitive properties of the door obstruction detection sensor differ. By using proximity sensor based capacitive glass, this capacitance difference can be used to detect the obstruction of the door.

[0013] The opening operation and closing operation of the door are automatically achieved, which improves user-friendliness and facilitates the operation.

[0014] To open the door, the customer only has to move his / her hand in front of the door opening sensor or only briefly touch the door opening sensor, which signals the door to open. The door opening sensor reliably detects a touch / contact with the sensor or a movement close to the sensor. This also improves the hygiene of the opening operation, since, in the case of the door opening sensor being formed as a proximity sensor, the opening is effected in a contactless manner, and in the case of the door opening sensor being formed as a touch sensor, a relatively long gripping of the handle is replaced by a simple and brief touch.

[0015] The closing operation is achieved completely contactless, which increases the efficiency and hygiene of the refrigerated sales cabinet.

[0016] In addition, because the door obstruction detection sensor reliably causes the door to close only when there is no object, specifically no person, no body part, no pet or anything positioned to hinder the closing movement of the door, it is avoided that the door may remain open, which prevents cooled air from flowing out of the refrigerated sales space and improves efficiency.

[0017] According to another advantage, the control unit always has information about the open or closed state of the door and can use this information to achieve an improved refrigeration operation. If the control unit has received a door closing signal and closed the door, the control unit has information that the door is in its closed state. If the control unit has received a door opening signal and opened the door, the control unit has information that the door is in its open state. Likewise, during an opening movement and a closing movement of the door, the control unit has information that the state of the door is "open" or "closed", respectively.

[0018] The refrigerated sales cabinet has the ability to obtain real-time door status information and human detection information, and can also use the real-time door status information and the human detection information to obtain operation data of the refrigerated sales cabinet.

[0019] It is not necessary to provide a handle at the door of the refrigerated merchandiser, which may contribute to an improved overall appearance of the refrigerated merchandiser.

[0020] According to a first embodiment, the door opening sensor is formed as a sensor at or in a glass plate of a door. The door opening sensor may be configured to change its conductivity or capacitance in response to a person's touch or proximity. The door opening sensor may be formed as a touch screen type of glass or proximity glass.

[0021] By using such an opening sensor, and by arranging such a sensor on or in the glass plate of the door, changes in conductivity or capacitance in response to a hand moving close to or touching such a door opening sensor can be reliably sensed, while at the same time such a door opening sensor does not affect the viewing of the products displayed in the refrigerated merchandising cabinet.

[0022] According to another embodiment, the door obstacle detection sensor is formed as a sensor at or in a glass panel of a door. The door obstacle detection sensor may be configured to change its conductivity or capacitance in response to the approach of a person. The door obstacle detection sensor may be formed close to the glass.

[0023] By using such a door obstruction detection sensor and by arranging such a sensor on or in the glass plate of the door, the conductive or capacitive properties of objects, in particular persons or body parts, which hinder the closing movement of the door can be reliably sensed. At the same time, such a door obstruction detection sensor does not affect the viewing of the products displayed in the refrigerated sales cabinet.

[0024] According to another embodiment, the door obstruction detection sensor is further configured to transmit a door obstruction signal when the door is in its open position, the door obstruction signal indicating that an object, in particular a person or a body part, is positioned to hinder the closing movement of the door. The control unit may be configured to maintain the door in its open position as long as it receives the door obstruction signal from the door obstruction detection sensor.

[0025] In the case of this embodiment, it is possible to reliably avoid the door closing when a customer or any other object obstructs the closing movement.

[0026] According to another embodiment, the door obstacle detection sensor is also configured to sense whether an object, in particular a person or a body part, is positioned to hinder the closing movement of the door during the closing movement of the door, and transmit a door opening or door stop signal indicating that the object is obstructing; and the control unit is configured to drive the door operating motor to stop the closing movement of the door and / or open the door again when the control unit receives a door opening or door stop signal from the door obstacle detection sensor during the closing movement of the door.

[0027] In the case of this embodiment, it is possible to reliably avoid the door from contacting the customer who obstructs or moves so as to obstruct the closing movement of the door.

[0028] According to another embodiment, the door obstacle detection sensor is configured to continuously or from time to time sense whether an object, in particular a person or a body part, is positioned to hinder the closing movement of the door when the door is in its open position, and to continuously or from time to time transmit a door closing signal indicating that there is no object obstruction and / or a door obstacle signal indicating that there is an object obstruction.

[0029] In the case of this embodiment, it can be reliably avoided that the door remains in its open position for too long. If the customer who has opened the door has, for example, taken out the desired merchandise from the refrigerated vending space and has moved away from the refrigerated vending cabinet again, the door obstacle detection sensor will reliably sense that there is no longer an object obstructing the closing movement of the door and will cause the door to close. In this way, energy efficiency is significantly improved compared to conventional doors, in which it often happens that the door remains open or is not completely closed after the customer has taken out the desired merchandise from the refrigerated vending space.

[0030] According to another embodiment, the control unit is configured to transmit an alarm signal indicating an excessively long door opening time if the control unit receives a door obstacle signal from the door obstacle detection sensor within a predetermined time period.

[0031] Such alarm signals can be sent to the supermarket owner or cabinet service department to warn that the corresponding door has been in its open position for more than a predetermined threshold. Transmitting such alarm signals can also contribute to energy efficiency and detect malfunctions of refrigerated sales cabinets.

[0032] According to another embodiment, the refrigerated vending cabinet further comprises a door frame surrounding the glass plate. The microcontroller may be arranged at the door frame or embedded in the door frame. Such microcontroller may be configured to transmit at least one of a door open signal, a door stop signal, a door close signal and a door obstacle signal to the control unit in a wired or wireless manner.

[0033] Such a microcontroller reliably receives sensed signals of changes in conductivity or capacitance properties in the glass and processes the sensed signals.

[0034] Alternatively, such a microcontroller may also be placed in other parts of the refrigerated merchandising cabinet.

[0035] In the case of this embodiment, the microcontroller can be hidden from the customer.Such a microcontroller has the function of reliably transmitting at least one of a door open signal, a door closed signal and a door obstruction signal to the control unit.

[0036] According to another embodiment, the control unit is configured to drive at least one evaporator fan of an evaporator arranged in the refrigerated sales cabinet to operate at an adapted rotational speed after receiving the door opening signal.

[0037] In one embodiment, the control unit is configured to drive at least one evaporator fan of the evaporator arranged in the refrigerated vending cabinet to operate at an adapted rotational speed after receiving the door opening signal. In the case of this embodiment, the energy efficiency of the refrigerated vending cabinet is further improved. In the open position of the door, at least one evaporator fan operates at a reduced speed or even stops in order to prevent the cooled air from continuing to blow over the evaporator coil of the evaporator or being drawn through the evaporator coil. This avoids energy waste.

[0038] In another embodiment, the control unit is configured to drive at least one evaporator fan of an evaporator arranged in the refrigerated sales cabinet to run at an increased speed after receiving the door opening signal in order to generate a strong air curtain and avoid too much penetration. Such embodiments are particularly suitable for refrigerated sales cabinets formed as vertical multiple layers.

[0039] Likewise, the control unit may be configured to drive at least one evaporator fan of an evaporator arranged in the refrigerated merchandising cabinet to run at a normal operating speed again after receiving the door closing signal.

[0040] According to another embodiment, the door is formed as a hinged door / pivoting door having a transverse outer portion close to the hinge and a transverse inner portion opposite the transverse outer portion. The hinged door can be pivoted between a closed position, in which the door closes the front of the refrigerated vending space of the refrigerated vending cabinet and is located in a vertical front plane of the refrigerated vending cabinet, and an open position, in which the hinged door is pivoted out of this vertical front plane and allows access to the refrigerated vending space of the refrigerated vending cabinet.

[0041] According to a further embodiment, the door opening sensor is arranged at a middle vertical section of the hinged door, in particular at a middle vertical section of a transversely inner section of the hinged door. The door obstruction detection sensor may be arranged at a transversely inner section of the hinged door and in particular extend at least partially at the height of a glass pane of the hinged door. The door opening sensor may be formed as part of a door obstruction detection sensor.

[0042] By arranging the door obstacle detection sensor to extend at least partially at the height of the glass pane of the sliding door, even smaller customers, such as children, can be reliably detected.

[0043] According to another embodiment, the door obstacle detection sensor, in particular a proximity sensor, is configured to sense whether an object, in particular a person or a body part, is positioned between a lateral inner portion of the hinged door in which the door obstacle detection sensor is arranged and a vertical front plane of the refrigerated sales cabinet when the hinged door is in its open position, and to transmit a door closing signal indicating that there is no object obstruction.

[0044] According to another embodiment, the door is formed as a sliding door having a transverse outer portion close to the side wall of the refrigerated sales cabinet and a transverse inner portion opposite to the transverse outer portion. The sliding door can be moved between a closed position, in which the sliding door closes the front of the refrigerated sales space of the refrigerated sales cabinet and wherein its transverse inner portion abuts against a door frame column, a cabinet side wall or an adjacent door, and an open position, in which the sliding door is slid to the side and wherein its transverse inner portion is spaced apart from the corresponding door frame column, the corresponding cabinet side wall or the corresponding adjacent door, thereby allowing access to the refrigerated sales space of the refrigerated sales cabinet.

[0045] According to a further embodiment, the door opening sensor is arranged at a middle vertical section of the sliding door, in particular at a middle vertical section of a transversely inner section of the sliding door. The door obstruction detection sensor can be arranged at a transversely inner section of the sliding door and in particular extend at least partially at the height of a glass pane of the sliding door. The door opening sensor can be formed as part of a door obstruction detection sensor.

[0046] According to another embodiment, the door obstacle detection sensor, in particular a proximity sensor, is configured to sense whether an object, in particular a person or a body part, is positioned between a lateral inner portion of the sliding door in which the door obstacle detection sensor is arranged and the corresponding door frame column, the corresponding cabinet side wall or the corresponding adjacent door when the sliding door is in its open position.

[0047] According to another embodiment, the refrigerated vending cabinet further comprises a cabinet frame, which may form a front edge of the cabinet body in which the door is arranged. The control unit may be arranged at the cabinet frame or embedded in the cabinet frame. The control unit may form part of a cabinet controller.

[0048] According to another embodiment, the refrigerated vending cabinet further comprises a display and / or a projector configured to display the door status. The control unit and / or the microcontroller are configured to cause the display and / or the projector to display the door status.

[0049] The door opening sensor and / or the door obstacle detection sensor may also be formed by other means, for example by optical sensors, radar or any other person detection technology.

[0050] According to another embodiment, the refrigerated merchandising cabinet comprises a suitable number of doors, for example, one door, two doors, three doors, four doors or more doors.

[0051] According to a further embodiment, at least one door of the refrigerated sales cabinet, in particular all doors of the refrigerated sales cabinet, can be formed as a transparent door. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0052] In the following, a refrigerated vending cabinet according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0053] Figure 1 A perspective view of a refrigerated merchandising cabinet is shown with its two hinged doors in their respective closed positions and with a customer standing in front of the refrigerated merchandising cabinet.

[0054] Figure 2 Show Figure 1A perspective view of a refrigerated merchandise cabinet with the right-hand hinged door in its open position pivoted out of the vertical front plane of the refrigerated merchandise cabinet, and a customer standing in front of the refrigerated merchandise space to remove merchandise from the refrigerated merchandise cabinet and standing in a manner that obstructs the closing movement of the right-hand hinged door.

[0055] Figure 3 Show Figure 2 Perspective view of a refrigerated merchandising cabinet with the right-hand hinged door still in its open position pivoted out of the vertical front plane of the refrigerated merchandising cabinet, wherein the customer has moved away from the refrigerated merchandising cabinet.

[0056] Figure 4 Shown with door open sensor Figures 1 to 3 Schematic front view of the right-hand hinged door of a refrigerated sales cabinet and the microcontroller and control unit.

[0057] Figure 5 Shown is a door obstacle detection sensor Figures 1 to 3 Schematic front view of the right-hand hinged door of a refrigerated sales cabinet and the microcontroller and control unit.

[0058] Figure 6 A door opening sensor and a door obstacle detection sensor are shown. Figures 1 to 4 Schematic front view of the right-hand hinged door of a refrigerated sales cabinet and the microcontroller and control unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] exist Figures 1 to 3 In the embodiment, the refrigerated sales cabinet 2 includes a cabinet body 4 having a bottom portion, a rear wall and a ceiling / top portion and side walls. A refrigerated sales space is formed in the cabinet body 4, in which refrigerated goods are stored and displayed. The refrigerated sales cabinet 2 includes at least one evaporator of a vapor compression cycle and an expansion device associated therewith. The refrigerant flows through such a vapor compression cycle, which, in addition to the expansion device and the evaporator, also includes a compressor unit, a condenser / liquefier and a refrigerant pipe through which the refrigerant circulates. The at least one evaporator can be equipped with an evaporator fan, which is configured to blow or suck air onto the coil of the evaporator.

[0060] The front side of the refrigerated sales cabinet 2 is equipped with two doors 8 which are formed as hinged doors / pivoting doors in the embodiment of the figures, but may also be formed as sliding doors.

[0061] The two doors 8 can be pivoted by hinges mounted to the vertical side column rods of the cabinet body 4. The two doors 8 include a transverse outer portion 14 near the hinge and a transverse inner portion 16 opposite to the transverse outer portion 14. The two doors 8 can be pivoted by hinges mounted to the vertical side column rods of the cabinet body 4. Figure 1, and an open position in which the door 8 is pivoted out of this vertical front plane and allows access to the refrigerated sales space of the refrigerated sales cabinet 2, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 and Figure 3 It can be seen in.

[0062] At least one door operating motor (not shown) is provided and configured to move the door 8 between a closed position and an open position.

[0063] The refrigerated sales cabinet 2 comprises, for example, two doors 8, i.e. a left-hand door 8 and a right-hand door 8. The doors may be transparent. Of course, the refrigerated sales cabinet may be equipped with any suitable number of doors.

[0064] Each of the two doors 8 of the refrigerated sales cabinet 2 can be equipped with a corresponding door opening sensor 18, which can be formed as a touch or proximity sensor and can be configured to sense whether the customer's hand touches the door opening sensor 18 or whether the customer's hand moves close to the door opening sensor 18 or slides past the door opening sensor when the corresponding door is in a closed position, and in particular transmit a door opening signal indicating such touch or such movement to the control unit 20 via the microcontroller 20.

[0065] Each of the two doors 8 may be provided with a microcontroller 20 , which may be arranged at the door frame 12 or embedded in the door frame.

[0066] In addition, a control unit 22 is provided, which is configured to drive the door operating motor in response to such a door opening signal so that the door operating motor moves the door 8 from its closed position to its open position. The control unit 22 can be arranged at the cabinet frame or cabinet body 4, or embedded in the cabinet frame or the cabinet body. In the embodiment shown in the figure, the control unit 22 is arranged at the ceiling / top part of the cabinet body 4.

[0067] As in Figure 1 As can be seen in FIG, the door opening sensor 18 is arranged at the middle vertical portion of the transverse inner portion 16 of the right door 8. A corresponding door opening sensor (not shown) is arranged at the middle vertical portion of the transverse inner portion 16 of the left door 8.

[0068] The door opening sensors 18 are particularly formed as touch or proximity sensors on or in the glass panes 10 of the door 8 and are configured to change their conductivity or capacitance in response to a person's touch or approach. For example, if a person touches or moves close to the door opening sensor 18, the conductivity and / or capacitance value of the door opening sensor 18 changes compared to a situation where no person touches or moves close to the door opening sensor 18. The door opening sensors can be particularly formed as glass or proximity glass of the touch screen type. The two doors 8 each comprise a glass pane 10 which can be configured as a double glass pane or a triple glass pane, and a door frame 12 enclosing the glass panes 10. In particular, the door 8 does not need to have a handle.

[0069] exist Figure 2 and Figure 3 It can be clearly seen that the right door 8 is also equipped with a door obstacle detection sensor 24, and a corresponding door obstacle detection sensor (not shown) can also be provided at the handle of the door 8.

[0070] The door obstruction detection sensor or detector 24 is particularly formed as a proximity sensor which is configured to sense whether an object, in particular a person or a body part, is positioned to obstruct the closing movement of the door 8 when the door 8 is in its open position, and transmits a door closing signal indicating that there is no obstruction to the control unit 22, in particular via the microcontroller 20. The control unit 22 is configured to drive the door operating motor in response to such a door closing signal, so that the door operating motor moves the door 8 from its open position to its closed position.

[0071] The door obstacle detection sensor 24 is arranged at the lateral outer part 14 of the door 8 and extends at least partially over the height of the glass plate 10, in particular over the entire height of the glass plate 10 of the door 8, thereby ensuring detection of any object at any length, in particular no person, no body part, nothing is present between the door and the cabinet. The door obstacle detection sensor 24 can be formed as a sensor on or in the glass plate 10 of the door 8, and the door obstacle detection sensor can be configured to change its conductivity or capacitance in response to the approach of a person. In particular, the door obstacle sensor 24 can be formed close to the glass.

[0072] The door obstruction detection sensor 24 may further be configured to transmit a door obstruction signal when the door 8 is in its open position, the door obstruction signal indicating that an object, in particular a person or a body part, is positioned to hinder the closing movement of the door 8. The control unit 22 may be configured to maintain the door 8 in its open position as long as it receives the door obstruction signal from the door obstruction detection sensor 24.

[0073] As another safety measure, the door obstruction detector 24 may be further configured to sense whether an object, in particular a person or a body part, is positioned to obstruct the closing movement of the door 8 during the closing movement of the door 8, and transmit a door opening or door stop signal indicating the obstruction by the object. The control unit 22 may be configured to drive the door operating motor to stop the closing movement of the door 8 and open the door 8 again if the control unit receives a door obstruction signal from the door obstruction detection sensor 24 during the closing movement of the door 8.

[0074] To improve efficiency, the door obstacle detection sensor 24 can also be configured to continuously or from time to time sense whether an object, in particular a person or a body part, is positioned to hinder the closing movement of the door 8 when the door 8 is in its open position, and transmit a door closing signal indicating that there is no object obstruction and / or a door obstacle signal indicating that there is an object obstruction.

[0075] The control unit 22 may be configured to transmit an alarm signal indicating an excessively long door opening time if the control unit receives a door obstacle signal from the door obstacle detection sensor 24 within a predetermined time period.

[0076] The door open signal, door closed signal and door obstruction signal may be transmitted from the sensors 18 , 24 to the control unit 22 via the respective microcontrollers 20 thereof in a wireless or wired manner.

[0077] In order to further improve the efficiency of the refrigerated sales cabinet 2, the control unit 22 can be configured to drive at least one evaporator fan of the evaporator arranged in the refrigerated sales cabinet 2 after receiving the door opening signal, so as to run at an adapted rotation speed. In one embodiment, the control unit 22 can be configured to drive at least one evaporator fan of the evaporator after receiving the door opening signal, so as to run at a reduced speed or stop operation, so as to further improve the energy efficiency of the refrigerated sales cabinet 2. In another embodiment, the control unit 22 is configured to drive at least one evaporator fan of the evaporator after receiving the door opening signal, so as to run at an increased speed, so as to create a strong air curtain and avoid too much infiltration.

[0078] The control unit 22 may be further configured to drive at least one evaporator fan of the evaporator to run at a normal operating speed again after receiving the door closing signal.

[0079] Specifically, the door obstacle detection sensor 24 can be configured to sense whether an object, especially a person or a body part, is positioned between the lateral outer portion 14 of the door 8 in which the door obstacle detection sensor 24 is arranged and the vertical front plane of the refrigerated sales cabinet 2 when the door 8 is in its open position in which the door 8 is pivoted out of the vertical front plane of the refrigerated sales cabinet 2, and transmit a door closing signal indicating that there is no object obstruction to the control unit 22.

[0080] exist Figure 1 In the embodiment of the present invention, a customer moves to the refrigerated sales cabinet 2 and moves his hand close to the door open sensor / slides his hand over the door open sensor in case the door open sensor 18 is formed as a proximity sensor, or touches the door open sensor 18 in case the door open sensor 18 is formed as a touch sensor. The change in conductivity or capacitance is detected by the door open sensor 18, and the door open sensor 18 transmits a door open signal indicating such movement or such touch to the control unit 22, in particular via its microcontroller 20. The control unit 22 drives the door operating motor in response to such door open signal, so that the door operating motor moves the door 8 from its closed position to its open position, as in the embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 Visible in.

[0081] The customer can then approach the goods in the refrigerated sales space and take out the goods when necessary. When the customer stands in a way that hinders the closing movement of the door 8, such as Figure 2 , the door obstruction detection sensor 24 will transmit a door obstruction signal indicating that an object, in particular a customer, is positioned to hinder the closing movement of the door 8, and the control unit 22 controls the door operating motor so that the door 8 will remain in its open position as long as it receives such a door obstruction signal from the door obstruction detection sensor 24, as can be seen in FIG. Figure 2 Good understanding at the time.

[0082] After taking the desired merchandise from the refrigerated sales space, the customer will then move away from the refrigerated sales space 6 and the door obstruction detection sensor will sense that there is no longer an object, in particular no customer, positioned to obstruct the closing movement of the door 8. It will therefore transmit a door closing signal indicating that there is no obstruction to the control unit 22. The control unit 22 will then drive the door operating motor in response to such a door closing signal so that the door operating motor moves the door 8 from its open position ( Figure 3 ) to its closed position ( Figure 1 ).

[0083] After receiving the door opening signal, the control unit 22 can control the evaporator fan of the evaporator arranged in the refrigerated sales cabinet 2 to run or stop operation at a reduced speed. After receiving the door closing signal, it can drive such evaporator fan to run at a normal operating speed again.

[0084] It can be sensed continuously or from time to time whether an object, in particular a person or a body part, is positioned so as to hinder the closing movement of the door 8 .

[0085] exist Figure 4 It can be seen in FIG. 1 that the door opening sensor 18 is formed as a rectangular portion on or in the glass plate 10 at the lateral outer portion 14 where the handle would normally be placed, ie at a position that can be easily reached by each customer.

[0086] Microcontroller 20 is schematically depicted next to door frame 12 , but it may be completely integrated into the frame.

[0087] The control unit 22 is usually arranged at the ceiling / top portion of the cabinet body 4. The control unit 22 may be part of the cabinet controller, or an independent entity.

[0088] exist Figure 5 It can be seen well in FIG that the door obstacle detection sensor 24 extends over the entire height of the glass pane 10 of the door 8 at the lateral inner part 16 of the door. In the case of this embodiment, it is ensured that the door obstacle detection sensor 24 will also reliably detect smaller objects, in particular smaller customers or children.

[0089] exist Figure 6 In the embodiment of the present invention, the door opening sensor 18 is formed as part of a door obstacle detection sensor 24. The door obstacle detection sensor 24 is formed at the lateral outer portion 14 of the door 8 and extends over the entire height of its glass plate 10. The vertical middle portion thereof also forms the door opening sensor 18.

[0090] Although the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for its elements without departing from the scope of the claims. In addition, many modifications may be made to adopt specific circumstances or materials in accordance with the teachings of the present invention without departing from the scope of the claims. Therefore, it is contemplated that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, but rather, the present invention includes all embodiments that fall within the scope of the claims.

[0091] Reference Numbers List:

[0092] 2 Refrigerated sales cabinets

[0093] 4 Cabinet body

[0094] 6 Refrigerated Sales Space

[0095] 8 Hinged Doors

[0096] 10 Glass Pane

[0097] 12 Door Frame

[0098] 14 Lateral outer portion near the hinge

[0099] 16 Horizontal inner part

[0100] 18 Door open sensor

[0101] 20 Microcontroller

[0102] 22 Control Unit

[0103] 24 door obstacle detection sensors

Claims

1. A refrigerated sales cabinet (2), the refrigerated sales cabinet comprising Door (8); a door operating motor configured to move the door (8) between a closed position and an open position; A control unit (22); a door opening sensor (18) configured to sense whether a customer touches the door opening sensor (18) or whether a customer moves close to the door opening sensor (18), and transmit a door opening signal indicating such touching or such movement to the control unit (22); and wherein the control unit (22) is configured to drive the door operating motor and open the door in response to such door opening signal; and a door obstruction detection sensor (24) configured to sense whether an object is positioned to obstruct the closing movement of the door (8) when the door (8) is in its open position, and to transmit a door closing signal to the control unit (22) indicating that there is no obstruction; wherein the control unit (22) is configured to drive the door operating motor and close the door in response to such door closing signal; It is characterized in that The door opening sensor (18) and the door obstacle detection sensor (24) are formed as sensors on or within the glass plate (10) of the door (8); wherein The door obstruction detection sensor (24) is arranged at a lateral inner portion (16) of the door (8) and extends over the entire height of the glass panel (10); and A vertical middle portion of the door obstacle detection sensor (24) forms the door opening sensor (18).

2. The refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to claim 1, Wherein the door opening sensor (18) is a touch or proximity sensor.

3. The refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to claim 1, The door obstacle detection sensor (24) is a proximity sensor.

4. The refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to claim 1, wherein the door opening sensor (18) is configured to change its conductivity or capacitance in response to a person's touch or proximity; and / or The door opening sensor (18) is formed as a touch screen type glass or proximity glass.

5. A refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the door obstruction detection sensor (24) is configured to change its conductivity or capacitance in response to a person approaching; and / or The door obstacle detection sensor (24) is formed close to the glass.

6. A refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The door obstruction detection sensor (24) is further configured to transmit a door obstruction signal when the door (8) is in an open position, the door obstruction signal indicating that an object is positioned to obstruct the closing movement of the door (8).

7. The refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to claim 6, The object is a person or a body part.

8. A refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the door obstruction detection sensor (24) is further configured to sense whether an object is positioned to obstruct the closing movement of the door (8) during the closing movement of the door (8), and to transmit a door opening or door stopping signal indicating obstruction by the object; and The control unit (22) is configured to drive the door operating motor to stop the closing movement of the door (8) and / or open the door (8) again when the control unit receives a door obstacle signal from the door obstacle detection sensor (24) during the closing movement of the door (8).

9. The refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to claim 8, The object is a person or a body part.

10. The refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to claim 6, wherein the door obstruction detection sensor (24) is configured to continuously or from time to time sense whether an object is positioned to obstruct the closing movement of the door (8) when the door (8) is in an open position, and to continuously or from time to time transmit a door closing signal indicating no obstruction by the object and / or a door obstruction signal indicating obstruction by the object; and / or The control unit (22) is configured to transmit an alarm signal indicating an excessively long door opening time if the control unit receives a door obstruction signal from the door obstruction detection sensor (24) within a predetermined time period.

11. The refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to claim 10, The object is a person or a body part.

12. A refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The refrigerated vending cabinet further comprises a door frame (12), wherein the door frame (12) surrounds the glass plate (10); and The microcontroller (20) is arranged at the door frame (12) or embedded in the door frame (12), and the microcontroller (20) is configured to transmit at least one of the door opening signal, the door closing signal and the door obstacle signal to the control unit (22) in a wired or wireless manner.

13. A refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit (22) is configured to drive at least one evaporator fan of the evaporator arranged in the refrigerated sales cabinet (2) to operate at an adapted rotation speed, or to stop operation, after receiving the door opening signal; and / or The control unit (22) is configured to drive at least one evaporator fan of an evaporator arranged in the refrigerated sales cabinet (2) to run at a normal operating speed again after receiving the door closing signal.

14. The refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to claim 13, The adapted rotational speed is an increasing or decreasing speed.

15. A refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the door (8) is formed as a hinged / pivoting door having a transverse outer portion (14) adjacent to the hinge and a transverse inner portion (16) opposite to the transverse outer portion (14); The hinged door is capable of moving between a closed position and an open position, in which the door (8) closes the front of the refrigerated sales space of the refrigerated sales cabinet (2) and is located in the vertical front plane of the refrigerated sales cabinet (2), and in the open position, the hinged door is pivoted out of this vertical front plane and allows access to the refrigerated sales space of the refrigerated sales cabinet (2).

16. The refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to claim 15, The door obstruction detection sensor (24) is arranged at the lateral inner portion (16) of the hinged door.

17. The refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to claim 16, The door obstacle detection sensor (24) extends at least partially at the height of the glass panel (10) of the hinged door.

18. The refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to claim 15, The door obstacle detection sensor (24) is configured to sense whether an object is positioned between the lateral inner portion (16) of the hinged door in which the door obstacle detection sensor (24) is arranged and the vertical front plane of the refrigerated sales cabinet (2) when the hinged door is in an open position, and to transmit a door closing signal indicating that there is no obstruction.

19. The refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to claim 18, The door obstacle detection sensor (24) is a proximity sensor.

20. The refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to claim 18, The object is a person or a body part.

21. The refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to claim 15, wherein the door (8) is formed as a sliding door having a transverse outer portion close to the side wall of the refrigerated sales cabinet (2) and a transverse inner portion opposite to the transverse outer portion; The sliding door is capable of moving between a closed position and an open position, wherein in the closed position, the sliding door closes the front of the refrigerated sales space of the refrigerated sales cabinet (2), and wherein its lateral inner portion is adjacent to a door frame column, a cabinet side wall or an adjacent door (8), and in the open position, the sliding door is slid to the side, and wherein its lateral inner portion is spaced apart from the corresponding door frame column, the corresponding cabinet side wall or the corresponding adjacent door (8), thereby allowing access to the refrigerated sales space of the refrigerated sales cabinet (2).

22. The refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to claim 21, wherein the door opening sensor (18) is arranged at a middle vertical portion of the sliding door; and / or wherein the door obstruction detection sensor (24) is arranged at the lateral inner portion of the sliding door; and / or The door opening sensor (18) is formed as part of the door obstruction detection sensor (24).

23. The refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to claim 22, The door opening sensor (18) is arranged at a middle vertical portion of the transverse inner portion of the sliding door.

24. The refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to claim 22, The door obstacle detection sensor (24) extends at least partially over the height of the glass panel (10) of the sliding door.

25. A refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to any one of claims 21 to 24, The door obstacle detection sensor (24) is configured to sense whether an object is positioned between the lateral inner portion of the sliding door in which the door obstacle detection sensor (24) is arranged and the corresponding door frame column, the corresponding cabinet side wall or the corresponding adjacent door (8) when the sliding door is in an open position.

26. The refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to claim 25, The door obstacle detection sensor (24) is a proximity sensor.

27. The refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to claim 25, The object is a person or a body part.

28. The refrigerated vending cabinet (2) according to claim 12, The refrigerated vending cabinet also includes a cabinet frame; The control unit (22) is arranged at the cabinet frame or embedded in the cabinet frame; wherein the control unit (22) forms part of a cabinet controller; and / or The refrigerated vending cabinet further comprises a display and / or a projector, wherein the display and / or the projector is configured to display the door status; and / or The control unit (22) and / or the microcontroller (20) are configured to cause the display and / or the projector to display the door.

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