Improvements to open display refrigerators

Abstract

The open display refrigerator provides air that receives air from an air curtain before it is collected by an air inlet. [Solution] An open display refrigerator comprising an internal space, a first weir screen 4 positioned close to the external space, and a second weir screen 11 positioned away from the external space, wherein the air in the internal space to be cooled is separated from the air in the external space by an air curtain 3, the air curtain is formed by a fan 6, the fan blows air from an air outlet 2 toward a corresponding air inlet 5, the air inlet recovers air from the air curtain for recirculation to the air outlet, the open display refrigerator comprising an internal space, a first weir screen 4 positioned close to the external space, and a second weir screen 11 positioned away from the external space, wherein a channel is formed between the first weir screen and the second weir screen, the channel receives air from the air curtain before the air is recovered by the air inlet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to improvements in open display refrigerators.

Background Art

[0002] Open display refrigerators are generally used in retail environments such as supermarkets and grocery stores. Open display refrigerators allow customers to immediately pick up chilled food stored inside the refrigerator.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] This type of refrigerator has an air curtain, which is formed by blowing cold air across the front of the refrigerator. The air curtain flows out from the air outlet at the top of the refrigerator towards the air inlet at the bottom of the refrigerator. The air inlet collects air from the air curtain and recirculates it to the air outlet via a cooling heat exchanger and a fan.

[0004] The air curtain prevents the cold air inside the refrigerator from mixing with the warm air outside the refrigerator. However, especially, the air curtain tends to flow out from the bottom of the refrigerator, and warm air from the outside is entrained into the air curtain, making it quite inefficient. To overcome this problem, open display refrigerators often use a weir screen (also known as a riser) disposed on the base deck of the refrigerator and in front of the air inlet to prevent the air curtain from flowing out from the bottom of the refrigerator. Typically, under the base deck of the refrigerator, there is a row of fans for sucking the air curtain into the air inlet and a heat exchanger for cooling the air recovered through the air inlet. The fans also push the cooled air through the internal space of the refrigerator, providing a constant recirculation for cooling the refrigerator.

[0005] ​Typically, the suction pressure that the fan applies to the air inlet is limited, and some air is lost at the edges of the weir screen, where the fan cannot draw air into the inlet. In addition, at the base of the refrigerator, the air curtain is warmest and most dispersed. This less cold air affects items such as groceries at the front of the shelves at the base, warming them more than necessary. Furthermore, in refrigerators with holes in the back wall, some air passes through the holes, creating turbulent lateral airflow of cold air throughout the shelves. However, at the base of the refrigerator, this cold air is typically not enough to mitigate the temperature rise caused by the air curtain.

[0006] Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an open display refrigerator equipped with a weir screen to prevent the air curtain from flowing out from the bottom of the refrigerator. This weir screen reduces the impact that the relatively cool air from the air curtain has on items at the bottom of the refrigerator.

[0007] According to the first aspect of the present invention, The internal space is cooled, The air in the cooled internal space is separated from the air in the external space of the open display refrigerator by an air curtain. The aforementioned air curtain is formed by a fan, The aforementioned fan blows air from the air outlet toward the corresponding air inlet. The air inlet recovers air from the air curtain for recirculation to the air outlet. Interior space and, A first weir screen is positioned in close proximity to the aforementioned external space, The second weir screen is located away from the aforementioned external space. An open display refrigerator equipped with, A channel is formed between the first weir screen and the second weir screen. The channel provides an open display refrigerator that receives air from the air curtain before the air is collected by the air inlet.

[0008] The technical advantage of providing a second weir screen is that, compared to using a single weir screen, it reduces the impact of less cold air from the air curtain on items at the base of the refrigerator by drawing in relatively more air from the air curtain. This can be achieved in different ways, as described below.

[0009] Typically, the weir screens are formed from plastic, or especially acrylic resin. The first and second weir screens act to form a nozzle / funnel, with the entrance to the nozzle / funnel being higher than the air inlet. Typically, the first and second weir screens are approximately the same height across the entire (or nearly entire) width of the air inlet. The technical advantage of the first and second weir screens being approximately the same height is that the maximum amount of air curtain is recovered compared to when the weir screens are of different heights.

[0010] The air inlet may be equipped with a grill, and either or both of the first and second weir screens may be attached to the grill. Alternatively, either or both of the first and second weir screens may be attached to the body of the refrigerator in close proximity to the air inlet.

[0011] In one embodiment, The first weir screen and the second weir screen each have corresponding first end groups positioned in close proximity to the air inlet. The first weir screen and the second weir screen each have corresponding second end groups positioned away from the air inlet, The distance between the corresponding first end groups is greater than the distance between the corresponding second end groups.

[0012] The technical advantage of arranging the first weir screen and the first end group of the second weir screen to create a narrower opening for receiving the air curtain is that a nozzle is formed, thereby increasing the suction pressure and allowing more air curtain to be captured compared to using a single weir screen.

[0013] In one embodiment, The first weir screen and the second weir screen each have corresponding first end groups positioned in close proximity to the air inlet. The first weir screen and the second weir screen each have corresponding second end groups positioned away from the air inlet, The distance between the corresponding first end groups is approximately equal to the distance between the corresponding second end groups.

[0014] The technical advantage of arranging the first weir screen and the second weir screen so that they are nearly parallel to each other is that the suction area is raised further up the air curtain, thereby reducing the amount of less cold air delivered to the items stored at the base of the refrigerator compared to using a single weir screen.

[0015] In one embodiment, The first weir screen and the second weir screen each have corresponding first end groups positioned in close proximity to the air inlet. The first weir screen and the second weir screen each have corresponding second end groups positioned away from the air inlet, The distance between the corresponding first end groups is less than the distance between the corresponding second end groups.

[0016] The technical advantage of arranging the first weir screen and the first end group of the second weir screen to create a wider opening for receiving the air curtain is that, because the gap for the air curtain to enter is physically wider, a larger portion of the air curtain is captured compared to when a single weir screen is used.

[0017] In one embodiment, a portion of the air inlet for receiving air from the air curtain is covered so that the surface area of the air inlet is reduced.

[0018] The air inlet may be covered by a separate blanking plate or, alternatively, a portion of the first dam screen and the second dam screen may be formed to cover a portion of the air inlet.

[0019] The technical advantage of reducing the surface area of the air inlet is that the suction pressure is increased, thereby drawing in more air curtains.

[0020] In one embodiment, the second dam screen is shaped such that a portion of the dam screen covers a portion of the air inlet, resulting in a reduction in the surface area of the air inlet for receiving air from the air curtain.

[0021] In one embodiment, the first dam screen and / or the second dam screen has a rectangular cross-section.

[0022] In one embodiment, the first dam screen and / or the second dam screen has a cross-section with a curve.

[0023] In one embodiment, the second dam screen extends vertically over a longer distance than the first dam screen with respect to the base of the refrigerator.

[0024] The technical advantage of having a second dam screen that is taller than the first dam screen is that it reduces the outflow of cold air from inside the refrigerator over the front of the dam screen.

[0025] In one embodiment, the first dam screen extends vertically over a longer distance than the second dam screen with respect to the base of the refrigerator.

[0026] The technical advantage of having a second weir screen that is lower in height than the first weir screen is that it creates a horizontal draw of cold air across the lower shelves, which reduces the effect that the less cold air from the air curtain has on items stacked in front of the base of the refrigerator.

[0027] In one embodiment, A kit to be retrofitted to the first weir screen and the second weir screen, The aforementioned kit is The aforementioned first weir screen, The aforementioned second weir screen, Mounting means for attaching the first weir screen and the second weir screen to a refrigerator A kit is provided that includes the following: mounting may be done by screws, rivets, adhesives, grooves, combinations thereof, or any other method known in the art.

[0028] In one embodiment, The open display refrigerator further comprises an air curtain guide for directing the airflow into the air curtain. The air curtain guide further comprises at least one light source positioned within the air curtain guide to illuminate the internally cooled storage space.

[0029] In one embodiment, the air curtain guide is shaped like a wing.

[0030] A wing is a type of air guide that directs air in a specific direction. Wings are found in the air curtain of a refrigerator and work by having a portion of the air curtain flow on both sides of the wing. Wings give shape to the airflow and direct it in the desired direction. Depending on the specific shape of the wing, the direction of the air curtain inflow changes when the air curtain flows over the wing. A typical design of a wing that can be used is a curved wing. This is usually oriented with the tip at the top and the curved surface away from the interior space. When a wing is placed in an air curtain, it is shaped such that one side (the intake surface (i.e., the curved surface)) has a lower pressure than the other side (the pressure surface).

[0031] In one embodiment, The aforementioned air curtain guide further comprises a front section, The front portion comprises a housing made of transparent plastic material for displaying at least one product label.

[0032] Embodiments of the present invention are described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0033] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows a conventional open-display refrigerator with a single weir screen. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the open display refrigerator from Figure 1 with the second weir screen installed. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows a single weir screen mounted on the base of an open-display refrigerator. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows variations of the first and second weir screens that are attached to the base of an open display refrigerator. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows another variation of the first and second weir screens, which are mounted on the base of an open display refrigerator, with the addition of a blanking plate applied to the air inlet. [Figure 6]Figure 6 shows another variation of the first and second weir screens that are attached to the base of an open display refrigerator. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows another variation of the first and second weir screens, which are mounted on the base of an open display refrigerator, with the addition of a blanking plate applied to the air inlet. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows another variation of the first and second weir screens that are attached to the base of an open display refrigerator. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows another variation of the first and second weir screens, which are mounted on the base of an open display refrigerator, with the addition of a blanking plate applied to the air inlet. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0034] Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a conventional open-display refrigerator 1. The refrigerator has an internal space that is maintained at a temperature lower than the ambient temperature. Within the internal space are four shelves and one base 9. The refrigerator 1 forms an air curtain 3 by blowing cold air from an air outlet 2 towards an air inlet 5. A first weir screen 4 helps prevent air from the air curtain 3 from flowing out from the front of the refrigerator. The air inlet 5 collects air from the air curtain, and at least one fan 6 inside the refrigerator 1 recirculates the air to the air outlet 2 via a cooling heat exchanger 7 and a duct 8. The cooling heat exchanger is typically located inside the refrigerator 1 and maintains the recirculated air (the air that is thus blown through the air outlet 2 and forms the air curtain) at a desired temperature. The desired temperature is set to be lower than the ambient temperature and acts to prevent the cold air in the internal space 2 from mixing with the non-cold air outside the refrigerator 1. Items to be refrigerated 10 can be stored on the base 9 of the refrigerator.

[0035] The first arrow 3b indicates the general flow path of the air curtain from the air outlet 2 to the air inlet 5. The second arrow 3c shows how some of the air in the air curtain flows out from the front of the refrigerator, beyond the front of the first weir screen 4. The third arrow 3a shows how some of the air from the air curtain hits the items 10 on the base 9 of the refrigerator. The fourth arrow 3d shows how the cold air released from the perforated portion in the rear wall of the refrigerator hits the base of the air curtain 3.

[0036] Figure 2 shows an open-display refrigerator 1 similar to the refrigerator in Figure 1, but with a second weir screen 11 mounted close to the air inlet 5. These weir screens are arranged to form a nozzle, so that the suction pressure is higher where the air curtain flows in through the gap between the two weir screens. The first arrow 3b again shows the general flow path of the air curtain from the air outlet 2 to the air inlet 5. The second arrow 3c shows how the air that would normally flow out from the front of the refrigerator 1 if the second weir screen 11 were not present is now retained inside the first weir screen 4 and flows into the air inlet 5. Similarly, the third arrow 3a shows how the air that would normally hit the items 10 stored on the base 9 of the refrigerator is now retained inside the second weir screen 11. Similarly, the fourth arrow 3d shows how the air hitting the base of the air curtain 3 is kept inside the second weir screen 11 in this state.

[0037] Figure 3 shows an enlarged view of the first weir screen 4 of the refrigerator illustrated in Figure 1. As can be seen from the figure, the air from the air curtain passes over the front of the first weir screen 4 and flows out from the front of the refrigerator.

[0038] Figure 4 shows an enlarged view of the first weir screen 4 and the second weir screen 11a of the refrigerator shown in Figure 1. As can be seen from the figure, air from the air curtain is held between the two weir screens. In this embodiment, the second weir screen 11a has a curved cross section, and air from the air curtain flows into the gap between the upper ends of the first and second weir screens, and this gap is smaller than the gap between the lower ends of the first and second weir screens that is close to the air inlet 5.

[0039] Figure 5 shows a modified version of the weir screen shown in Figure 4. As can be seen from the figure, a blanking plate 12 is added that covers part of the air inlet 5, thereby reducing the surface area of ​​the air inlet 5 and increasing the suction pressure. In this modified version, the blanking plate The blanking plate 12 is separate from the second weir screen 11a. However, the second weir screen 11a may be a continuous structure that covers a part of the air inlet 5, which would eliminate the need to provide a separate blanking plate 12.

[0040] Figure 6 shows a modified version of the weir screen shown in Figure 4. In this embodiment, the second weir screen 11b has a rectangular cross-section, and the first weir screen 4 is parallel to the second weir screen 11b.

[0041] Figure 7 shows a variation of the weir screen shown in Figure 6. As can be seen from the figure, a blanking plate 12 is added that covers a portion of the air inlet 5, thereby reducing the surface area of ​​the air inlet 5 and increasing the suction pressure. In this variation, the blanking plate 12 is separate from the second weir screen 11b. However, the second weir screen 11b may be a continuous structure that covers a portion of the air inlet 5, which would eliminate the need to provide a separate blanking plate 12.

[0042] Figure 8 shows a variation of the weir screen shown in Figure 4. In this embodiment, the second weir screen 11c has a rectangular cross-section, and an air curtain flows into the gap between the upper ends of the first and second weir screens, and this gap is larger than the gap between the lower ends of the first and second weir screens that are close to the air inlet 5.

[0043] Figure 9 shows a modified version of the weir screen shown in Figure 8. As can be seen from the figure, a blanking plate 12 covering a portion of the air inlet 5 has been added, thereby reducing the surface area of ​​the air inlet 5 and increasing the suction pressure. In this modified version, the blanking plate 12 is separate from the second weir screen 11c. However, the second weir screen The air intake 11c may be a continuous structure that covers a portion of the air inlet 5, thereby blocking the air intake. It is also conceivable that there will be no need to provide a separate mounting plate 12.

[0044] Any of the weir screens described above may be provided as a kit for retrofitting to an existing refrigerator. Such a kit may include a first weir screen and a second weir screen according to any of the embodiments described above. Furthermore, such a kit may also include means for attaching the weir screen to the refrigerator, such as screws, nails, and / or adhesive.

Claims

1. The internal space is cooled, The air in the cooled internal space is separated from the air in the external space of the open display refrigerator by an air curtain. The aforementioned air curtain is formed by a fan, The aforementioned fan blows air from the air outlet toward the corresponding air inlet. The air inlet recovers air from the air curtain for recirculation to the air outlet. Interior space and, A first weir screen is positioned in close proximity to the aforementioned external space, The second weir screen is located away from the aforementioned external space. An open display refrigerator equipped with, A channel is formed between the first weir screen and the second weir screen. The channel is an open display refrigerator that receives air from the air curtain before the air is collected by the air inlet.

2. The first weir screen and the second weir screen each have corresponding first end groups positioned in close proximity to the air inlet. The first weir screen and the second weir screen each have corresponding second end groups positioned away from the air inlet, The distance between the corresponding first end groups is greater than the distance between the corresponding second end groups. The open display refrigerator according to claim 1.

3. The first weir screen and the second weir screen each have corresponding first end groups positioned in close proximity to the air inlet. The first weir screen and the second weir screen each have corresponding second end groups positioned away from the air inlet, The distance between the corresponding first end groups is approximately equal to the distance between the corresponding second end groups. The open display refrigerator according to claim 1.

4. The first weir screen and the second weir screen each have corresponding first end groups positioned in close proximity to the air inlet. The first weir screen and the second weir screen each have corresponding second end groups positioned away from the air inlet, The distance between the corresponding first end groups is smaller than the distance between the corresponding second end groups. The open display refrigerator according to claim 1.

5. A portion of the air inlet is covered such that the surface area of ​​the air inlet for receiving air from the air curtain is reduced. An open display refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The second weir screen is shaped such that a portion of the second weir screen covers a portion of the air inlet, resulting in a reduction in the surface area of ​​the air inlet for receiving air from the air curtain. An open display refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The open display refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first weir screen and / or the second weir screen have a rectangular cross-section.

8. The second weir screen has a curved cross-section. An open display refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The second weir screen extends vertically over a longer distance than the first weir screen with respect to the base of the open display refrigerator. An open display refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The first weir screen extends vertically over a longer distance than the second weir screen with respect to the base of the open display refrigerator. An open display refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

11. A kit to be retrofitted to the first weir screen and the second weir screen according to any one of claims 1 to 10, The aforementioned kit is The aforementioned first weir screen and, The aforementioned second weir screen, Mounting means for attaching the first weir screen and the second weir screen to a refrigerator A kit that includes the following:

12. The open display refrigerator further comprises an air curtain guide for directing the airflow into the air curtain. An open display refrigerator according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

13. The aforementioned air curtain guide is shaped like a wing. The open display refrigerator according to claim 12.

14. The air curtain guide further comprises at least one light source positioned to illuminate the internally cooled storage space. An open display refrigerator according to claim 12 or 13.

15. The aforementioned air curtain guide further comprises a front section, The front portion comprises a housing made of transparent plastic material for displaying at least one product label. An open display refrigerator according to any one of claims 12-14.

Images