Cooler device and door for use with a cooler device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional cooler devices with integrated screens for promotion are expensive, inflexible, and obstruct product visibility, while alternative methods like stickers or billboards are aesthetically undesirable and require high effort to change.
Innovation Solution
A cooler device design featuring a transparent product presentation area and a separate, at least partly transparent display area that does not overlap, allowing unobstructed product visibility and enabling easy replacement of displays with a single glass sheet or gas-filled insulating glass units for improved aesthetics and energy efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If screens are integrated into the transparent area of the door for promotion, then display functionality is improved, but product visibility is obstructed and manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The door is divided into separate functional areas: a transparent product presentation area and a display area with header structure. This segmentation allows the display functionality to be added without integrating screens into the transparent area, thus maintaining product visibility and simplifying manufacturing by separating the display system from the door glass assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The display area is positioned in the header structure above the door rather than in the door panel itself. This spatial relocation to a different dimension (vertical space above the door) resolves the conflict between display functionality and product visibility, as the display no longer overlaps with the transparent area through which customers view products.
2Illumination intensity
If light level is increased to achieve necessary contrast for displays, then display visibility is improved, but energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Lighting is localized to the display area in the header structure rather than illuminating the entire transparent door area. This targeted lighting approach provides sufficient contrast for display visibility while minimizing overall energy consumption by limiting the illuminated volume to only where promotional content is shown.
3Adaptability or versatility
If digital displays are used in the cooled area, then display functionality is improved, but component reliability decreases due to condensation and humidity
Solution Approach 1:
The display area and its electronic components are extracted from the cooled area and positioned in the header structure above the door, which is outside the temperature-controlled zone. This relocation removes the display components from the harmful environment of low temperatures and high humidity, thereby improving reliability while maintaining display functionality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides an appealing and energy-efficient display system that maintains product visibility, reduces energy consumption, and allows for easy display changes without increasing the complexity or cost of the cooler device.
Implementation Method 1
Gas-filled insulating glass units are provided in cooler devices with doors
Data Source
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AI summary
A cooler device (1), preferably freezer device or chiller device, comprising a cabinet (2), at least one door (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d), at least one display (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) and at least one product storing region (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d) being located inside the cabinet (2), wherein said door (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d) comprises a transparent product presentation area (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) and a display area (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d), wherein under a frontal view said product storing region (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d) is viewable through said transparent product presentation area (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d), wherein said transparent product presentation area (5a, 5b, 5c, 5d) and said display area (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d) do not overlap with each other, such that under a frontal view the product storing region (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d) is unobstructed by the display area (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d), and wherein said display area (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d) is at least partly transparent, such that said display (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) is viewable through said display area (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d) or wherein said door (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d) comprises said display (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d), such that said display (4a, 4b, 4c, 4d) defines said display area (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d). Further, a door (3a, 3b, 3c, 3d) for use with a cooler device (1).