Indexing cooler
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional open front coolers consume significantly more energy than glass door merchandisers due to the lack of insulation, which may not be justified by the increased sales volume they provide, and supercooling coolers require precise temperature control to function effectively, leading to inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
The indexing cooler features an insulated outer shell with rotating product zones defined by indexing wings equipped with brush seals, where one zone is exposed while the others remain refrigerated, using an indexing drive motor to alternate their positions, promoting impulse purchases while reducing energy costs and maintaining temperature consistency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an open front cooler is used to provide easy product accessibility and promote impulse purchases, then consumer accessibility and sales volume are improved, but energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The cooler is divided into multiple independently controllable zones (first zone with open front, second zone with glass door, third zone that is refrigerated). This allows each zone to serve different functions - the open front zone provides easy accessibility for impulse purchases, while the other zones maintain energy efficiency through proper insulation and cooling, thus resolving the contradiction between accessibility and energy consumption
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the cooler have different thermal characteristics - the first zone has an open front for accessibility, while the second zone has a glass door for insulation, and the third zone is fully refrigerated. This local differentiation allows the system to provide easy access where needed while maintaining energy efficiency in other areas, resolving the contradiction between accessibility and energy consumption
2Use of energy by moving object
If a glass door merchandiser is used to reduce energy consumption, then energy efficiency is improved, but product accessibility and impulse purchase potential decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The cooler is divided into multiple independently controllable zones, with the first zone having an open front that provides easy accessibility for impulse purchases, while the second and third zones have glass doors for energy efficiency. This segmentation allows the system to provide both accessibility and energy efficiency simultaneously, resolving the contradiction
3Temperature
If supercooling techniques are used to cool beverages below freezing, then product cooling effect is improved, but temperature control precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cooler creates distinct thermal zones with the third zone being fully refrigerated and maintaining beverages below freezing for supercooling effects. By separating the supercooling function into a dedicated zone rather than applying uniform cooling, the system achieves the desired cooling effect while managing temperature control requirements through zoned management
Solution Approach 2:
The indexing mechanism periodically rotates product zones between different thermal environments (open front, glass door, refrigerated zones). This periodic movement allows beverages to experience varying thermal conditions that facilitate supercooling while preventing uniform over-cooling, thus achieving the cooling effect with manageable temperature control precision
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 indexing cooler achieves energy savings comparable to glass door merchandisers while maintaining easy product accessibility, reducing thermal gradients, and enabling effective supercooling by ensuring all products remain within a narrow temperature band, thus enhancing operational efficiency and consumer engagement.
Implementation Method 1
The plurality of indexing wings comprises a brush seal
Data Source
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AI summary
The present application provides an indexing cooler for a number of products. The indexing cooler may include an outer shell, a number of rotating product zones, and an indexing drive motor. The indexing drive motor rotates one of the rotating product zones into an exposed zone for a first predetermined length of a time.