Roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet and method

Abstract

A roll-in cabinet (2, fig 2) having a refrigerated display area (15) for receiving a plurality of roll cages (26), an air outlet (20) and an air inlet (10) open into the display area and spaced from o

Description

The present disclosure relates to a roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet and a method of modifying a roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet. 5 BACKGROUND The display of chilled or frozen items is commonplace in many retail environments, most notably in supermarkets. Conventionally, such items have been displayed in 10 refrigerated display cases having glass doors to allow customers to browse items before opening the doors to access the items. However, the presence of such doors has been seen as problematic in that they make it difficult for several customers to access the contents of the case, as well as providing an obstruction when open, narrowing the usable aisle space. 15 It is therefore common for supermarkets to use open-fronted display cases (Open Refrigerated Display Cases; herein “ORDCs”). ORDCs utilise an air curtain which is cooled to below ambient temperature and propelled downward, across the open front of the display case. The air curtain separates the refrigerated interior of the display 20 case from the ambient air surrounding the display case. The air curtain thus keeps the cool air inside the display case from spilling out due to buoyancy effects, and also provides a barrier from other external motions of air around the display case. ORDCs therefore do not need any physical barrier separating customers from the contents of the display case. Accordingly, ORDCs provide a desirable method of displaying food 25 and other perishable goods as they allow both easy access and clear visibility of merchandise. One form of ORDC is a roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet. Such cabinets provide unique challenges since they must allow a dairy roll cage (i.e., trolley) to be rolled directly into 30 the refrigerated display area and so cannot use conventional air intakes to recirculate the air curtain. Consequently, roll-in dairy cabinets often struggle to provide a uniform temperature within the display area and are typically inefficient. It is therefore desirable to address or alleviate these issues. 24 04 25 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with a first aspect, there is provided a roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet comprising: 5 a refrigerated display area for receiving a plurality of dairy roll cages; an air outlet and an air inlet opening into the display area and spaced from one another; a duct fluidically coupling the air inlet to the air outlet, the duct being configured to direct air flow out of the air outlet across the display area and toward the air inlet to 10 form an air curtain across the display area; a flow stabilising assembly disposed between the air inlet and the air outlet and comprising a flow stabilising device configured to stabilise the air flow within the air curtain; wherein the flow stabilising device is movable between a closed position and an 15 open position; wherein, in the closed position, the flow stabilising device extends across the display area and thus prevents dairy roll cages from being inserted and withdrawn from the display area and wherein, in the open position, the flow stabilising device is positioned so as to allow dairy roll cages to be inserted and withdrawn. 20 The flow stabilising device may be hingedly connected to allow movement between the closed position and the open position. The flow stabilising assembly may be configured to be removable from the display 25 area. A plurality of dividing members may be provided in the display area which divide the display area into a plurality of compartments for receiving the roll cages. A flow stabilising device may be mounted to one or more of the dividing members. 30 The dividing members may be dividing walls. The dividing members may be fluidically connected to the duct and provided with openings for ejecting air. The dividing members may be configured to be removable from the display area. 24 04 25 The flow stabilising device may comprise an inner stabilising beam and an outer stabilising beam. 5 The flow stabilising assembly may comprise a frame having first and second horizontal members spaced from one another and first and second vertical members spaced from one another to define an opening. The flow stabilising assembly may further comprise a first beam spaced from the first horizontal member and a second beam spaced from the second horizontal member. The first horizontal member and the first beam form 10 outer and inner stabilising beams of a first flow stabilising device and the second horizontal member and the second beam form outer and inner stabilising beams of a second flow stabilising device. The first and second vertical members may be positioned so as to cover gaps between 15 adjacent roll cages. The flow stabilising device may be retained in the closed position by a magnetic latch. The air inlet may be formed by a plurality of intake ducts which extend along a floor and 20 which are each sized to be received between wheels of each roll cage. In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a kit of parts comprising a flow stabilising assembly for modifying a roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet to form the roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet described above. 25 In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a method of modifying a roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet, the cabinet comprising: a refrigerated display area for receiving a plurality of dairy roll cages; an air outlet and an air inlet opening into the display area and spaced from one 30 another; and a duct fluidically coupling the air inlet to the air outlet, the duct being configured to direct air flow out of the air outlet across the display area and toward the air inlet to form an air curtain across the display area; the method comprising: 35 providing a flow stabilising assembly comprising a flow stabilising device configured to stabilise the air flow within the air curtain; 24 04 25 attaching the flow stabilising assembly to the roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet such that the flow stabilising device is between the air inlet and the air outlet and such that the flow stabilising device is movable between a closed position and an open position; 5 wherein, in the closed position, the flow stabilising device extends across the display area and thus prevents dairy roll cages from being inserted and withdrawn from the display area and wherein, in the open position, the flow stabilising device is positioned so as to allow dairy roll cages to be inserted and withdrawn. 10 The method may further comprise inserting a plurality of dividing members into the display area which divide the display area into a plurality of compartments for receiving the roll cages. The flow stabilising assembly may be attached to one of the dividing members. 15 Following modification, the roll-in dairy refrigerated may correspond to the roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 20 For a better understanding of the invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: 25 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet; Figure 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a flow stabilising assembly; 30 Figure 4 is a front view of the roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet with the flow stabilising assembly installed; Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a hinge connection of the flow stabilising 35 assembly to a dividing wall; and 24 04 25 Figure 6 is a side view of the flow stabilising assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION 5 Figures 1 and 2 show a roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet 2. The roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet 2 comprises a cabinet portion formed by a back wall 6, an upper wall 8, and left and right-side walls 7, 9 (see Figure 4). A back panel 12 and an upper panel 14 are disposed within the cabinet portion. 10 The back and upper panels 12, 14 form a display area 15. The display area 15 comprises an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion is provided with a plurality of shelves 17 (two levels of shelves are shown) on which items may be displayed. The shelves 17 are affixed to the back panel 12. The lower portion defines an open space which is sized to receive a plurality of dairy roll cages 26 (five are 15 shown). Each roll cage 26 includes a plurality of shelves 19 which can be used to display milk bottles and other dairy (or non-dairy) products. As shown, the back and upper panels 12, 14 are spaced from the respective back and upper walls 6, 8 to form a plenum (duct) 16. A plurality of intake ducts 18 (five are 20 shown) are provided which extend along the floor from the back panel 12. The intake ducts 18 are sized such that they are received between wheels of the roll cages 26 such that the roll cages 26 can be rolled over the intake ducts 18 and into the display area 15. 25 The intake ducts 18 include one or more openings which form an inlet to the plenum 16. In particular, each intake duct 18 includes an end surface 10 which includes a plurality of openings. As shown, in this example, the end surface 10 is oriented vertically, but in other examples the end surface 10 may be inclined. Furthermore, additional openings may be provided along portions of other surfaces (e.g., over a 30 distal portion of the upper surface) of the intake ducts 18. A discharge grille 20 is provided at the upper panel 14 to form an outlet from the plenum 16. The intake ducts 18 and the discharge grille 20 are thus fluidically coupled to one another by the plenum 16. The end surface 10 of each intake duct 18 and the 35 discharge grille 20 are spaced from the back panel 12 toward the front of the cabinet portion and ahead of the shelves 17 and dairy roll cages 26. 24 04 25 A fan 22 and a heat exchanger 24 are located within the plenum 16 adjacent to the discharge grille 20 and thus are disposed between the upper wall 8 and the upper panel 14. 5 In use, the fan 22 draws air into the plenum 16 along the intake ducts 18 and then between the back wall 6 and the back panel 12. The air passes through the heat exchanger 24 where it is cooled to well below the ambient temperature. The air is then ejected from the discharge grille 20 and descends over the open front of the display 10 area 15 to form an air curtain 36. The air curtain 36 passes from the discharge grille 20 to the intake ducts 18, where it is drawn in and re-circulated through the plenum 16. The air curtain 36 thus forms a non-physical barrier which separates the display area 15 from the ambient air surrounding the roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet 2. The back panel 12 may be perforated allowing air to pass from the plenum 16 into the display 15 area 15 where it cools items located on the shelves 17 and on the roll cages 26. Figure 3 shows a flow stabilising assembly 40 which may be used to improve the performance of the roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet 2. The flow stabilising assembly 40 comprises a frame 42. The frame 42 comprises first and second horizontal members 20 44a, 44b which are spaced vertically from one another and first and second vertical members 46a, 46b which are spaced horizontally from one another and extend between the first and second horizontal members 44a, 44b to form a rectangle having a central opening 47. As shown, the first vertical member 46a has a width which is less than the width of the second vertical member 46b, as will be described further below. 25 The flow stabilising assembly 40 further comprises a first beam 48a and a second beam 48b. The first beam 48a is affixed to the first horizontal member 44a of the frame 42 via a first pair of brackets 52a, 52b. The first beam 48a extends parallel to the first horizontal member 44a but is spaced perpendicularly from the first horizontal member 30 44a. Similarly, the second beam 48b is affixed to the second horizontal member 44b via a second pair of brackets 52a, 52b. The second beam 48b extends parallel to the second horizontal member 44b but is spaced perpendicularly from the first horizontal member 44b. 35 As shown in Figure 3, the first and second beams 48a, 48b do not extend across the full width of the frame 42. The first and second beams 48a, 48b may have a length 24 04 25 which corresponds to the distance between the inner edges of the first and second vertical members 46a, 46b (which corresponds to the width of the opening 47). As shown in Figure 4, a plurality of dividing walls 54 (four are shown) may be inserted 5 into the lower portion of the display area 15. The dividing walls 54 are parallel to the left and right-side walls 7, 9 of the roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet 2 and are spaced from one another so as to define a compartment between each pair of adjacent dividing walls 54 and between the left and right-side walls 7, 9 and the adjacent dividing wall 54. The compartments are sized to receive the roll cages 26. The dividing walls 10 extend from the floor to the upper portion (i.e., to the bottom of the lowermost shelf 17). In other examples, the dividing walls may not extend entirely to the level of the upper portion. A flow stabilising assembly 40 is connected to each of the dividing walls 54 and to the 15 left-side wall 7 (or the right-side wall 9). As shown in Figure 5, each flow stabilising assembly 40 is connected via a pair of hinges 56. The hinges 56 allow the flow stabilising assembly 40 to be rotated between a closed position and an open position. In the closed position, the flow stabilising assembly 40 extends perpendicularly to the dividing walls 54 and across the compartment to the adjacent dividing wall 54 or right-20 side wall 9, as shown in Figure 4. In the open position, the flow stabilising assembly 40 extends parallel to and away from the dividing walls 54. Therefore, roll cages 26 can be easily rolled into the compartments when the flow stabilising assemblies 40 are in the open position. 25 As shown in Figure 5, the flow stabilising assembly 40 is hinged via the wider second vertical member 46b. A latch is provided in order to retain the flow stabilising assembly 40 in the closed position. In this example, the latch is a magnetic latch comprising a magnetic latch body and an armature plate. The magnetic latch body 58 is provided on the first vertical member 46a (on the opposite side of the flow stabilising assembly 40 30 to the hinge 56) and the armature plate is provided on a neighbouring dividing wall 54 (i.e., the dividing wall 54 next to the one to which the flow stabilising assembly 40 is hinged) or right-side wall 9. It will be appreciated that the positions of the magnetic latch body and the armature plate may be reversed. Further, other forms of latch may be used to retain the flow stabilising assembly 40 in the closed position. 24 04 25 As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the flow stabilising assembly 40 is arranged such that the first and second beams 48a, 48b face inwardly and the frame 42 faces outwardly. The first and second beams 48a, 48b are thus disposed between the frame 42 and the display area 15. 5 The frame 42 of each flow stabilising assembly 40 sits in front of the dividing walls 54. As described previously, the flow stabilising assembly 40 is hinged via the wider second vertical member 46b. The wider second vertical member 46b thus sits in front of the dividing wall 54 to which the flow stabilising assembly 40 is connected. The 10 width of the second vertical member 46b may correspond to the width of the dividing wall 54. In some examples, the second vertical member 46b may be slightly wider than the dividing wall 54 so as to be aligned (or overlap slightly) with an edge of the roll cage 26. The first and second vertical members 46a, 46b may have a combined width which corresponds to the spacing between adjacent roll cages such that the first vertical 15 member 46a of one flow stabilising assembly 40 combines with the second vertical member 46b of the adjacent flow stabilising assembly 40 to cover the gap between the adjacent roll cages. As described previously, the first and second beams 48a, 48b do not extend across the 20 full width of the frame 42. This allows the first and second beams 48a, 48b to be received between adjacent dividing walls 54 (or between a dividing wall 54 and the adjacent side wall) when the flow stabilising assembly 40 is in the closed position. As shown in Figure 6, the flow stabilising assembly 40 is positioned such that the top of 25 the first and second horizontal members 44a, 44b and the first and second beams 48a, 48b are level with a pair of shelves 19 of the roll cage 26. Specifically, in this example, the first and second horizontal members 44a, 44b and the first and second beams 48a, 48b are level with the uppermost two shelves 19. Accordingly, the flow stabilising assembly 40 does not restrict access to products on the roll cage 26, with the opening 30 47 providing access to products on the lower of the two shelves 19. The first horizontal member 44a and the first beam 48a form outer and inner stabilising beams of a first (upper) flow stabilising device and the second horizontal member 44b and the second beam 48b form outer and inner stabilising beams of a second (lower) 35 flow stabilising device. 24 04 25 The first horizontal member 44a and the first beam 48a are arranged so that their widths extend in a vertical direction, substantially perpendicular to the shelves 19. The first horizontal member 44a and the first beam 48a are, however, angled relative to one another so that the gap between the first horizontal member 44a and the first beam 48a 5 tapers toward the lower end of the first horizontal member 44a and the first beam 48a. The first horizontal member 44a and the first beam 48a thus define a first slot 39a having a vertical extent (length). The first slot 39a comprises an inlet at an upper end and an outlet at a lower end. The inlet has a greater width than the outlet and a convergent throat is disposed between the inlet and the outlet. The first horizontal 10 member 44a and the first beam 48a may taper at an angle of greater than 0° and less than 20° to the vertical. The angle may, however, differ between the first horizontal member 44a and the first beam 48a. In particular, as shown, the first horizontal member 44a may be arranged vertically and the first beam 48a angled relative to the first horizontal member 44a. 15 The second horizontal member 44a and the second beam 48a are also arranged in the same manner. The dividing walls 54 have a length (i.e., depth) which is such that the first and second 20 beams 48a, 48b are spaced from the front of the roll cage 26 (i.e., from the respective shelf 19) so as to form a second slot 39b between each of the first and second beams 48a, 48b and the adjacent shelves 19. The flow stabilising devices are positioned such that the majority of the air curtain 36 25 passes between the first / second horizontal member 44a, 44b and the first / second beam 48a, 48b, through the first slots 39a. A portion of the air curtain 36 may pass between the first / second beam 48a, 48b and the shelf 19, through the second slot 39b, or beyond the exterior surface of the first / second horizontal member 44a, 44b. 30 Roll-in dairy cabinets often struggle to provide a uniform temperature within the display area. In particular, it has been found that inward movement of the air curtain can occur between the roll cages leading to warmer regions at the edges of each roll cage. This issue is particularly prevalent at the centre and towards the bottom of the display area where the air curtain has become unstable and incoherent. Consequently, products 35 may not be kept at a suitably low temperature and this can lead to spoilage. Further, 24 04 25 the inward movement of the air curtain leads to increased temperatures at the intake ducts which reduces efficiency. The flow stabilising devices act to re-stabilise the flow in the air curtain. The flow 5 stabilising devices accelerate the air as it passes through the first slot 39a. The acceleration acts to further stabilise the air curtain 36. The width of the air curtain 36 is also reduced which helps maintain a thin shear layer throughout the length of the air curtain 36. The flow stabilising devices thus avoid inward movement of the air curtain. In particular, the dividing walls 54 provide a solid boundary between the roll cages 26 10 and act to block inward movement of the air curtain, together with the first and second vertical members 46a, 46b which cover the gap between adjacent roll cages 26. Consequently, the air received by the intake ducts 18 is at a lower temperature and energy consumption is thereby reduced. 15 It will be appreciated that the dividing walls 54 and flow stabilising assemblies 40 may be retrofitted to an existing cabinet or the cabinet may be manufactured and supplied with the dividing walls 54 and flow stabilising assemblies 40. Where being retrofitted to an existing cabinet, a kit of parts may be supplied for modifying the cabinet. The 20 dividing walls 54 may be removable from the display area 15 in order to allow maintenance to be performed. The flow stabilising assemblies 40 may also be removable from the dividing walls 54. In other examples, the dividing walls 54 may be fluidically connected to the plenum 16 25 via the back panel 12, for example, such that air can be transmitted to the front of the cabinet. For example, each dividing wall 54 may be hollow and comprise a plurality of openings or a slot formed along (or adjacent to) an end surface of the dividing wall 54. This structure can therefore be used allow air to be ejected outwards (or across the compartments) and thereby prevent inward movement of the air curtain 36. With this 30 arrangement, the vertical members 46a, 46b may be modified so as to not impede the air flow from the dividing walls 54. For example, the vertical members 46a, 46b may be offset from the dividing walls 54, narrowed or omitted. In other examples, the dividing walls 54 may be replaced by other dividing members, 35 such as posts, which do not extend through the depth of the display area 15 and thus do not entirely divide the display area 15. 24 04 25 It will be appreciated that in other examples, the flow stabilising assembly 40 could be moved between open and closed position in other ways. For example, the flow stabilising assembly 40 may be hinged from the top allowing it to be lifted in order to 5 allow roll cages 26 to be inserted and withdrawn. The flow stabilising assembly may be lifted and supported by a gas strut or other suitable support. The flow stabilising assembly 40 may also be slidably mounted on a track or rail which allows the flow stabilising assembly 40 to be moved to an open position which allows a roll cage 26 to be inserted or withdrawn. The track or rail may extend horizontally over the height of 10 the roll cage 26 such that the flow stabilising assembly 40 can be retracted and stowed above the roll cage 26 when in the open position. In other examples, the flow stabilising assembly may comprise any number of flow stabilising devices. For example, a flow stabilising device may be provided for each of 15 the shelves 19 of the roll cage 26. Alternatively, several flow stabilising assemblies 40 may be provided for each roll cage 26 and located at different heights. Several flow stabilising devices 40 covering adjacent compartments may be connected to one another such that they are hinged from a single point and are opened and closed together. 20 In other examples, different forms of flow stabilising device may be used. For example, the flow stabilising device may include only a single beam forming a single slot between the beam and the roll cage 26. Flow stabilising devices (of the same or a different form) may also be provided for some or all of the shelves 17 in the upper 25 portion of the display area 15. Although Figure 1 shows a roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet 2 comprising an upper portion comprising conventional shelves and a lower portion for dairy roll cages, it will be appreciated that the upper portion may be omitted in other examples. 30 Although the invention has been described with reference to a roll-in dairy cabinet having discrete intake ducts 18, it will be appreciated that the invention may be applied to other forms of roll-in dairy cabinet. For example, the cabinet may utilise a movable front barrier which forms a single intake. The invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be modified or adapted without departing from the scope of the present invention. 24 04 25 24 04 25

Claims

1. A roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet comprising:a refrigerated display area for receiving a plurality of dairy roll cages;5 an air outlet and an air inlet opening into the display area and spaced from one another;a duct fluidically coupling the air inlet to the air outlet, the duct being configured to direct air flow out of the air outlet across the display area and toward the air inlet to form an air curtain across the display area;10 a flow stabilising assembly disposed between the air inlet and the air outlet and comprising a flow stabilising device configured to stabilise the air flow within the air curtain;wherein the flow stabilising device is movable between a closed position and an open position;15 wherein, in the closed position, the flow stabilising device extends across the display area and thus prevents dairy roll cages from being inserted and withdrawn from the display area and wherein, in the open position, the flow stabilising device is positioned so as to allow dairy roll cages to be inserted and withdrawn.20 2. A roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flowstabilising device is hingedly connected to allow movement between the closed position and the open position.

3. A roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the flow25 stabilising assembly is configured to be removable from the display area.

4. A roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a plurality of dividing members are provided in the display area which divide the display area into a plurality of compartments for receiving the roll cages.

305. A roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet as claimed in claim 4, wherein the dividing members are dividing walls.

6. A roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein the dividing 35 members are fluidically connected to the duct and are provided with openings for ejecting air.24 04 257. A roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the dividing members are configured to be removable from the display area.5 8. A roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet as claimed in any one of the preceding claims,wherein the flow stabilising device comprises an inner stabilising beam and an outer stabilising beam.

9. A roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet as claimed in claim 8, wherein the flow10 stabilising assembly comprises a frame having first and second horizontal members spaced from one another and first and second vertical members spaced from one another to define an opening;wherein the flow stabilising assembly further comprises a first beam spaced from the first horizontal member and a second beam spaced from the second horizontal15 member; andwherein the first horizontal member and the first beam form outer and inner stabilising beams of a first flow stabilising device and the second horizontal member and the second beam form outer and inner stabilising beams of a second flow stabilising device.2010. A roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first and second vertical members are positioned so as to cover gaps between adjacent roll cages.25 11. A roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet as claimed in any one of the preceding claims,wherein the flow stabilising device is retained in the closed position by a magnetic latch.

12. A roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, 30 wherein the air inlet is formed by a plurality of intake ducts which extend along a floor and which are each sized to be received between wheels of each roll cage.

13. A kit of parts comprising a flow stabilising assembly for modifying a roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet to form the roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet as claimed in any one 35 of the preceding claims.24 04 2514. A method of modifying a roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet, the cabinet comprising: a refrigerated display area for receiving a plurality of dairy roll cages;an air outlet and an air inlet opening into the display area and spaced from one another; and5 a duct fluidically coupling the air inlet to the air outlet, the duct being configured to direct air flow out of the air outlet across the display area and toward the air inlet to form an air curtain across the display area;the method comprising:providing a flow stabilising assembly comprising a flow stabilising device10 configured to stabilise the air flow within the air curtain;attaching the flow stabilising assembly to the roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet such that the flow stabilising device is between the air inlet and the air outlet and such that the flow stabilising device is movable between a closed position and an open position;15 wherein, in the closed position, the flow stabilising device extends across the display area and thus prevents dairy roll cages from being inserted and withdrawn from the display area and wherein, in the open position, the flow stabilising device is positioned so as to allow dairy roll cages to be inserted and withdrawn.20 15. A method of modifying a roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet as claimed in claim 14,further comprising:inserting a plurality of dividing members into the display area which divide the display area into a plurality of compartments for receiving the roll cages.25 16. A method of modifying a roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet as claimed in claim 15,wherein the flow stabilising assembly is attached to one of the dividing members.

17. A method of modifying a roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet as claimed in any of claims 14 to 16, wherein, following modification, the roll-in dairy refrigerated30 corresponds to the roll-in dairy refrigerated cabinet of any one of claims 1 to 12.

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