CN108463143B - Refrigerated merchandiser - Google Patents
Refrigerated merchandiser Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CN108463143B CN108463143B CN201680075534.8A CN201680075534A CN108463143B CN 108463143 B CN108463143 B CN 108463143B CN 201680075534 A CN201680075534 A CN 201680075534A CN 108463143 B CN108463143 B CN 108463143B
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- Prior art keywords
- refrigerated sales
- door
- refrigerated
- sales furniture
- warm air
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47F—SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS
- A47F3/00—Show cases or show cabinets
- A47F3/04—Show cases or show cabinets air-conditioned, refrigerated
- A47F3/0404—Cases or cabinets of the closed type
- A47F3/0408—Cases or cabinets of the closed type with forced air circulation
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47F—SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS
- A47F3/00—Show cases or show cabinets
- A47F3/04—Show cases or show cabinets air-conditioned, refrigerated
- A47F3/0404—Cases or cabinets of the closed type
- A47F3/0426—Details
- A47F3/043—Doors, covers
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- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- Cold Air Circulating Systems And Constructional Details In Refrigerators (AREA)
- Freezers Or Refrigerated Showcases (AREA)
Abstract
A refrigerated sales furniture (10) is configured for providing a cold air flow (C) which flows substantially vertically in a downward direction in at least a lower front portion of a refrigerated sales space (28) and along an inside of a lower portion of at least one door (8). The refrigerated sales furniture (10) comprises at least one warm air channel (18) which extends into the refrigerated sales furniture (10) from a front side of the refrigerated sales furniture (10) below the at least one door (8). A deflecting element (20; 21) is fixed to the inner surface of said at least one door (8) for deflecting said flow of cold air (C) and generating a local depression. The warm air channel (18) is configured for letting warm air flow from a region in front of the refrigerated sales furniture (10) into the refrigerated sales furniture (10) and for keeping the temperature at the lower portion of the at least one door (8) above the dew point temperature of the ambient air (a). The refrigerated sales furniture (10) is configured such that a warm air stream (W) is drawn through the at least one warm air channel (18) by a cold air stream (C) and merges with the cold air stream (C).
Description
The present invention relates to refrigerated sales furniture (furniture), in particular to refrigerated sales furniture comprising at least one door and at least one warm air channel configured to reduce the risk of condensation at the at least one door.
In order to increase energy efficiency, refrigerated sales furniture can be equipped with a door, in particular a glass door, so that a separation is established between the refrigerated space inside the furniture and the warm environment outside the furniture. A common problem with such refrigerated merchandisers is that condensation forms on the lower portion of the door. This is undesirable and should be avoided.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide an improved refrigerated merchandiser that effectively avoids the formation of undesirable condensate on the lower portion of its door.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, such a refrigerated sales furniture comprises: an appliance body providing a refrigerated sales space for storing products to be presented therein; at least one access area providing access to a refrigerated sales space; at least one door pivotally or slidably supported by the upper and lower portions of the door support frame at the at least one access area and movable between a closed position closing the at least one access area and at least one open position allowing access to the refrigerated sales space via the at least one access area; a return air opening disposed at a bottom of the refrigerated sales space proximate to the at least one door for receiving a flow of cold air flowing substantially vertically in a downward direction in at least a lower front portion of the refrigerated sales space; a deflecting element secured to an inner surface of the at least one door to deflect the flow of cold air, and at least one warm air channel extending into the refrigerated merchandiser from a front side thereof and configured to direct warm air into the refrigerated merchandiser from an area in front of the refrigerated merchandiser so as to maintain a temperature at a lower portion of the at least one door above a dew point temperature. The at least one warm air channel includes an outer portion extending below the at least one door and an inner portion extending between a portion of the deflecting element and an upper end of a stop rod disposed at a lower portion of the door support frame. The refrigerated merchandiser is configured such that a flow of warm air is drawn through the at least one warm air channel and merged with the flow of cool air.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention also include a method of reducing the risk of forming undesired condensate on an exterior surface of a door of such a refrigerated merchandiser, wherein the method includes the steps of: providing a flow of cold air flowing substantially vertically in a downward direction into a return air opening provided at a bottom of the refrigerated sales space in at least a lower front portion of the refrigerated sales space adjacent an inside of the lower portion of the at least one door, and deflecting the flow of cold air by means of a deflection element to draw warm air from an area in front of the refrigerated sales appliance into the refrigerated sales appliance through a warm air channel when the door is in the closed position to increase a temperature at the lower portion of the at least one door, the warm air flow merging with the flow of cold air.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the convective heat transfer on the lower portion of the outer surface of the door is increased by generating a flow of warm air along the lower portion of the door. The warm air flow causes a temperature increase at the lower portion of the outer surface of the door. This helps to keep the temperature of the lower portion above the dew point temperature of the ambient air in order to keep the door free of undesired condensation.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the warm air flow is generated without the use of an additional fan, but only by forming a warm air channel under the door, in particular in the door abutment profile, and with the aid of the deflecting element generating a local low pressure (negative pressure) at the outlet of said warm air channel using the cold air flow caused by the fan already present in the appliance, according to the bernoulli principle.
A benefit of exemplary embodiments of the present invention is the simplicity of the problem of undesirable condensate formation at the lower portion of the door can be addressed without the need to modify the design of the door or add new active components, such as additional electric heaters or fans.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention reliably avoid the problem of undesirable condensate formation, particularly in refrigerated merchandisers in which a curtain of cool air flows adjacent to the door.
Even if there is a thermal bridge caused by the glass spacing elements, the door frame, the hinges and other solid elements of the door ensuring the mechanical structure of the door, and despite the fact that the edges of the door, especially the lower part of the door, constitute an inherent weakness of the insulation, exemplary embodiments of the present invention reliably avoid the problem of undesired condensate formation. Although enhanced heat transfer occurs on the inner surface of the door due to local air flow acceleration at the return air grille disposed inside the refrigerated merchandiser, exemplary embodiments of the present invention reliably avoid the problem of undesirable condensate formation.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention may replace other conceivable ways for maintaining the temperature in the lower portion of the door above the dew point temperature, including improving the thermal resistance of the door edge design and/or using air baffles to avoid cold air from directly contacting the door. Alternatively, in addition to this, exemplary embodiments of the present invention may also be provided.
Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings:
figure 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a refrigerated sales furniture according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 shows an enlarged view of the region at the lower end of the glass door of the refrigerated sales furniture shown in fig. 1.
Fig. 3 shows an enlarged view of the region at the lower end of the glass door of the refrigerated sales furniture shown in fig. 1 according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 4 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of a deflecting element employed in a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention (fig. 3).
Fig. 5 shows an enlarged cross-sectional view of a deflecting element according to a third exemplary embodiment.
Fig. 1 depicts a schematic cross-sectional view of a refrigerated sales furniture 10 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The refrigerated merchandiser 10 includes an appliance body 1, the appliance body 1 defining a refrigerated sales space 28, the refrigerated sales space 28 being configured for storing products (not shown) to be presented therein. Disposed within the refrigerated sales space 28 are a plurality of shelves or racks 22 on top of each other that are configured for receiving and supporting the products.
The evaporator 2, which is part of the refrigeration circuit, is disposed at the bottom of the refrigerated merchandiser 10 below the refrigerated sales space 28. Additional components of the refrigeration circuit, not shown in figure 1, such as a compressor, a condenser and an expansion device, may also be provided within the refrigerated merchandiser 10. Alternatively, one or more of these components may be located outside the refrigerated merchandiser 10, such as in a machine room or on the outside/roof of a building housing the refrigerated merchandiser 10 (not shown).
The access area 11, which is arranged at the front side of the refrigerated sales space 28, can be closed by means of a door 8, in particular a glass door, which is pivotally supported by the upper and lower parts 6a, 6b and the upper and lower hinges 7 of the door support frame. In an alternative embodiment, not shown in the figures, the refrigerated merchandiser 10 may be equipped with two or more doors 8 including sliding doors mounted on ball bearings rolling on rails.
An elastic buffer 13 is arranged between the door 8 and the stopping rod 12 at the upper part 6a and the lower part 6b of the door supporting frame for buffering the impact of the door 8 on the stopping rod 12 when the door 8 is closed and for maintaining a defined gap between the door 8 and the stopping rod 12. In order to prevent cold air from flowing out of the refrigerated sales space 28 and in order to prevent warm air from flowing into the refrigerated sales space 28, a sealing lip 9 is provided between the catch lever 12 formed at the upper portion 6a of the door support frame and the door 8. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the bumper 13 provided at the top portion 6a of the door support frame is optional with the sealing lip 9 provided between the detent lever 12 and the door 8.
The return air duct 26, which extends substantially along a horizontal axis, is formed between a return air opening 34 at the bottom of the refrigerated sales space 28 and an inlet side of the evaporator 2, which in the exemplary configuration shown in fig. 1 is located on the right side of the evaporator 2. The return air duct 26 houses a fan 3, which fan 3 is configured to draw air from the refrigerated sales space 28 into the return air duct 26 through the return air openings 34 and to convey said air to the evaporator 2, where said air is cooled at the evaporator 2. The return air openings 34 are covered by the return air grille 4 for preventing items and other objects from falling into the return air duct 26.
The cooled air exiting the evaporator 2 (to the left of the evaporator 2 in the exemplary configuration shown in fig. 1) is delivered into a vertical cool air duct 24 extending vertically along the back side 29 of the refrigerated sales space 28.
The vertical cold air duct 24 may be provided with at least one cold air opening 30 for conveying cold air from the vertical cold air duct 24 into the refrigerated sales space 28.
A horizontal cool air duct 25 may be fluidly connected with an upper end of the vertical cool air duct 24 for conveying cool air from the vertical cool air duct 24 to a front side of the refrigerated sales space 28. The front side end of the horizontal cold air duct 25 is provided with an air outlet 5 for discharging cold air from the horizontal cold air duct 25 into the upper front region of the refrigerated sales space 28.
The cold air discharged into the upper front region of the refrigerated sales space 28 through the air outlet 5 provides a cold air stream ("cold air curtain") C which flows substantially vertically along the inside of the door 8 facing the refrigerated sales space 28 from the top to the bottom of the refrigerated sales space 28.
The cold air flow C reduces the temperature of the door 8. When the temperature of the exterior surface of the door 8 facing the outside of the refrigerated merchandiser 10 drops below the dew point temperature of the ambient air A, undesirable condensate from the ambient air A will form on the outside of the door 8. The risk of undesired condensate formation is particularly high at the lower portion of the door 8 due to the mechanical structural elements of the door 8 and the structural components supporting the door 8, in particular including the door supporting frame portion 6b and the hinge 7, and due to the enhanced heat transfer in said region.
In order to reduce the risk of undesired condensate formation at said lower portion of the door 8, a warm air channel 18 is provided extending from outside the refrigerated sales space 28 to the lower portion. The relatively warm ambient air flow W flowing through said warm air channel 18 increases the temperature of the mechanical structural elements of the door 8 in the region located at the lower portion of the door 8. This reduces the risk that the temperature of said lower portion of the door 8 falls below the dew point temperature of the ambient air a and undesired condensate is formed.
Hereinafter, the structure of the warm air passage 18 will be described in more detail with reference to fig. 2.
Fig. 2 shows an enlarged view of the lower part of the front side of the refrigerated sales furniture 10, in particular of the area around the lower part of the door 8.
The door 8 is in particular a hollow glass door 8 comprising an inner glass pane 8a facing the refrigerated sales space 28 and an outer glass pane 8c facing the outside of the refrigerated sales furniture 10. The outer glass plate 8c is spaced apart from the inner glass plate 8a by means of a glass spacing element 8 d. As a result, an insulating cavity 8b is formed between the inner glass pane 8a and the outer glass pane 8c for providing insulation, which insulating cavity 8b may in particular be filled with an insulating gas such as argon or may be evacuated to a vacuum.
A lower door hinge 7 comprising a frame-side hinge element 7a and a door-side hinge element 7b pivotably connected by means of a connecting element 7c pivotably supports a door 8 at a lower portion 6b of the door support frame.
The stop lever 12 extends perpendicularly from the lower portion 6b of the support frame at a position higher than the lower edge of the door 8.
The deflecting element 20 is attached to the inner glass plate 8a of the glass door 8 at a height slightly higher than the upper end of the stop lever 12.
The warm air channel 18 extends from the outside into a lower portion of the refrigerated sales space 28 and comprises an outer portion 18a arranged between the lower side of the at least one door 8 in its closed position and the upper side of the lower portion 6b of the door support frame, an adjacent intermediate portion 18b extending between the inner glass plate 8a and the stop lever 12, and an inner portion 18c extending between the upper edge of the stop lever 12 and the lower first planar surface 20a of the deflector element 20 attached to the door 8.
Due to the configuration of the stop rod 12, the inner and outer portions 18a, 18c of the warm air duct 18 may extend along a substantially horizontally oriented axis, and the intermediate portion 18b may extend along a substantially vertically oriented axis. As a result, the solid element of the lower portion of the door 8 is almost surrounded by ambient air or warm air flow W flowing through the warm air passage 18, rather than cold air. In an alternative configuration not shown in the drawings, at least one of the inner portion 18a, the intermediate portion 18b and the outer portion 18c of the warm air channel 18 may be oriented at a non-orthogonal angle relative to a horizontally or vertically extending axis.
The deflecting element 20, which in particular may extend over the entire width of at least one door 8, is provided with a lower first plane surface 20a facing the upper end of the stop lever 12, thus defining an inner portion 18c of the warm air channel 18. The deflecting element 20 further comprises a second planar surface 20b, which second planar surface 20b is attached to the inner glass plate 8a, for example by means of an adhesive, in particular an adhesive tape, and a third surface 20c, which third surface 20c faces the refrigerated sales space 28. The third surface 20c may be an inclined planar surface. Alternatively, the third surface 20c may be an arcuate surface as shown in fig. 2.
The deflecting element 20 may have a height of 10mm to 20mm, in particular a height of 15 mm.
Height H of inner portion 18c of warm air duct 182Height H which may be between 2mm and 10mm, in particular 4mm2。
Height H of outer portion 18a of warm air duct 181May be between 5mm and 10mm, in particular between 6mm and 8 mm. The width D of the middle portion 18b of the warm air channel 18 may be between 3mm and 10mm, in particular between 4mm and 6 mm.
In the cold air flow guiding section 32 close to the lower portion of the door 8, the deflecting element 20, in particular the inclined or curved third surface 20C of the deflecting element 20, deflects a substantially vertically flowing cold air flow C (which flows substantially parallel to the surface of the inner glass sheet 8 a). This deflection prevents cool air from the cool air stream C from flowing out of the refrigerated sales space 28 via the warm air channel 18.
The deflection caused by the deflecting element 20 further results in a reduction of the width of the space available for the cold air flow C. Said reduction of the available space acts as a nozzle which induces an increase in the speed of the flow of refrigerant air C. This increase in the velocity of the cold air flow C causes a reduction in the static pressure in the low pressure region 36 located within the refrigerated sales space 28 close to the deflector element 20 and the stop lever 12. The decrease in static pressure results in a pressure differential between the low pressure region 36 and the warm air channel 18. As a result, warm air W is drawn into the refrigerated sales space 28 through the at least one warm air channel 18.
Due to this flow of relatively warm ambient air W, the temperature of the lower part of the glass door 8 including the door-side hinge element 7b, the mechanical structural elements of the door (not visible in the figure because they are located behind the hinge element 7 b), the glass spacing element 8d and in particular the lower part 8e of the outer glass pane 8c increases. This makes it easier to maintain the temperature of the region above the dew point temperature of the ambient air a, thereby substantially reducing the risk of undesirable condensate forming in the region.
The warm air W that has been drawn into the refrigerated sales space 28 merges with the cold air stream C and is drawn into the return air duct 26 provided below the refrigerated sales space 28 through the return air opening 34. Via the return air duct 26, the warm air W is conveyed to the evaporator 2, not shown in fig. 2, where it is refrigerated before being conveyed back to the refrigerated sales space 28 as illustrated in fig. 1.
Fig. 3 shows an enlarged view of a lower portion of the front side of a refrigerated sales furniture 10 according to a second exemplary embodiment, the refrigerated sales furniture 10 comprising in particular different types of deflector elements 21. An enlarged cross-sectional view of said deflecting element 21 according to a second exemplary embodiment is shown in fig. 4.
The deflecting element 21 shown in fig. 3 and 4 has a thin profile form, which may be made of thin sheet metal or plastic, for example.
The deflecting element 21 comprises a straight central portion 21b extending parallel to the inner surface of the inner glass panel 8a of the at least one door 8 when the deflecting element 21 is attached to the at least one door 8. The straight center portion 21b may be attached to the inner glass plate 8a of the at least one door 8 by means of an adhesive, for example, an adhesive tape 23 (see fig. 4) that is disposed between the straight center portion 21b and the inner glass plate 8 a.
The deflecting element 21 further comprises a lower fixing portion 21c extending substantially orthogonally from the straight central portion 21 b. The lower fixed portion 21c extends substantially horizontally, in particular along the lower edge of at least one door 8, when the deflector element 21 is mounted to at least one door 8. Alternatively, the lower fixing portion 21c may be fixed to the lower edge of the at least one door 8 by means of an adhesive (e.g., an adhesive tape) not shown in the drawings.
The deflecting element 21 further comprises an upper deflecting portion 21a extending from the straight central portion 21b on the side opposite to the lower fixing portion 21 c. As a result, as illustrated in fig. 3, when the deflector element 21 is mounted to the inner surface of at least one door 8, the upper deflector portion 21a extends into the refrigerated sales space 28.
The upper deflecting portion 21a has a lower tip 21 d. The lower tip 21d protrudes into the cabinet relative to the inner surface 12a of the stopper rod 12 and extends downward into the refrigerated sales space 28. The horizontal distance L between the lower tip 21d of the upper deflecting portion 21a and the inner surface 12a of the stopper rod 12 may be in the range of 1mm to 5mm, particularly in the range of 2mm to 3 mm.
Such a projection in association with the downward orientation causes the condensate formed on the underside of the upper deflector portion 21a to flow downwardly and fall into the return air duct 26 provided at the bottom of the refrigerated sales space 28.
In the embodiment shown in fig. 3 and 4, the upper deflector portion 21 has a substantially arc-shaped form with a radius R (see fig. 4) of 10mm to 20mm, in particular with a radius R of 13mm to 15 mm. In an alternative embodiment not shown in the figures, the upper deflector portion 21a may be straight, but inclined with respect to the plane of the at least one door 8. Alternatively, a smaller portion of a circle (i.e., a portion that extends over an angle of less than 90 ° and has a larger radius R) may be used.
In a third embodiment illustrated in fig. 5, the upper deflecting portion 21a may comprise a plurality of differently, in particular progressively, inclined straight portions 19a, 19b, 19c, which are arranged adjacent to each other, resulting in a bulging shape of the upper deflecting portion 21a, which overall resembles the arc shape shown in fig. 4.
The lower tip 21d of the upper deflecting portion 21a may end at a height H of 2mm to 10mm when the deflecting element 21 is mounted to the at least one door 82At a height H, in particular 4mm above the upper edge 12b of the stop lever 122To (3).
The deflector element 21 extends substantially over the entire width of the at least one door 8 and may have a height h of 30mm to 40mm, in particular a height of 35 mm.
Height H of inner portion 18c of warm air duct 182Height H which may be between 2mm and 10mm, in particular 4mm2。
Height H of outer portion 18a of warm air duct 181May be between 5mm and 10mm, in particular between 6mm and 8 mm. The width D of the middle portion 18b of the warm air channel 18 may be between 3mm and 10mm, in particular between 4mm and 6 mm.
Similar to the third surface 20C of the deflector element 20 shown in fig. 1 and 2, the upper deflector portion 21a deflects the cold air flow C flowing along the front portion of the refrigerated sales space 28. The effect of drawing the flow of warm air W into the refrigerated sales space 28 along the lower portion of at least one door 8 to avoid condensation is therefore the same as described previously with reference to figures 1 and 2.
The deflecting element 21 according to the second embodiment shown in fig. 3 and 4 is easy to produce at low cost, for example by extruding a plastic material or by bending/roll-forming a suitable metal sheet.
The lower fixing portion 21c of the deflecting element 21 defines a mounting position of the deflecting element 21 in the vertical direction. It defines in particular the vertical position of the upper deflector portion 21a with respect to the lower edge of at least one door 8. As a result, this enables control of the position of the upper deflecting segment 21a relative to the other segments, and in particular the maintenance of the open vertical distance H between the lower tip 21d of the upper deflecting segment 21a and the upper edge 12b of the detent lever 122. As a result, the deflecting element 21 according to the second embodiment can be mounted in the correct position easily and with high reliability.
A number of optional features are set forth below. These features may be implemented alone or in combination with any other features in a particular embodiment.
In one embodiment, the warm air channel further comprises an intermediate portion extending substantially perpendicularly between a rear side of a lowermost portion of the at least one door and a front side portion of the stop bar at the lower door frame portion and fluidly connecting the inner portion and the outer portion of the warm air channel. Due to the configuration of the stop bar, the inner and outer portions of the warm air channel may extend along a substantially horizontally oriented axis, and the intermediate portion may extend along a substantially vertically oriented axis. As a result, the mechanical structural elements of the lower part of the door are almost surrounded by ambient air or warm air flow flowing in the warm air channel, but not by cold air. In an alternative configuration, at least one of the inner portion, the outer portion, and the intermediate portion may be oriented at any angle relative to the horizontally/vertically extending axis.
In another embodiment, the substantially vertical portion has a width of 3mm to 10mm, in particular a width of 4mm or 6 mm. It has been demonstrated that a width in the range described provides the air flow rate necessary to avoid condensation at the lower portion of at least one door without unreasonably increasing the depth of the lower portion of the door support frame including the stop bar.
In another embodiment, the deflector element includes a central portion extending parallel to the inner surface of the at least one door, a lower fixed portion extending along the lower edge of the at least one door, and an upper deflector portion extending from the inner surface of the at least one door into the refrigerated sales space. The central portion and the lower fixing portion may in particular extend orthogonally with respect to each other. The deflecting element with this configuration is easy to produce and is mounted on the door at low cost. The lower fixed part ensures a precise positioning of the deflecting element at the door.
In another embodiment, the upper deflector portion has a lower tip that protrudes into the cabinet relative to the inner surface of the stopper rod and is directed downwardly into the refrigerated sales space. The horizontal distance between the lower tip of the upper deflecting portion and the inner surface of the stopper rod may be in the range of 1mm to 5mm, particularly in the range of 2mm to 3 mm. Such an upper deflector portion allows condensate formed on the underside of the upper deflector portion to flow downwardly and fall into a return air duct provided at the bottom of the refrigerated sales space. It further allows an efficient deflection of the cold air stream flowing substantially vertically along the front of the refrigerated sales space.
In another embodiment, the upper deflector portion has an arcuate shape, in particular an arcuate shape with a radius of 10mm to 20mm, more in particular with a radius of 13mm to 15 mm. The lower end of the upper deflecting portion may end up 2mm to 10mm, in particular 4mm, higher than the upper edge of the stop strip. The gap in said range has proved to be effective in avoiding condensation at the lower portion of at least one door, due to the warm air being sucked into the refrigerated sales space, without unreasonably increasing the energy consumption of the refrigerated sales furniture.
The deflecting element may have a height of 30mm to 40mm, in particular 35 mm. In an alternative configuration, the deflecting element may have a height of 10mm to 20mm, in particular a height of 15 mm. Such a configuration allows for the appropriate deflection of the cold air stream flowing substantially vertically along the front of the refrigerated sales space and allows for the efficient intake of ambient air through the warm air channel.
In another embodiment, the upper deflector portion extending into the refrigerated sales space is configured such that an outlet surface of the warm air channel entering the refrigerated sales space, which outlet surface is formed between a lower tip of the upper deflector portion and an upper edge of the stopper rod, is oriented substantially parallel with respect to the flow direction of the cold air stream. The outlet surface of the warm air channel, which is oriented substantially parallel to the main direction of the cold air flow, reduces the dynamic pressure component generated by the cold air flow acting at said outlet surface, in particular by reducing it close to zero. This reduces the pressure acting at the outlet surface to near its minimum value, which is equal to the static pressure. As a result, such a configuration provides a low pressure at the outlet surface close to the lowest pressure, which is possible for a given cold air flow velocity and thus for an efficient intake of warm air flowing through the warm air channel.
In another embodiment, the deflector element extends across the entire width of the at least one door so as to prevent cool air flowing substantially vertically along the front of the refrigerated sales space from entering the warm air channel and so as to provide a flow of warm air into the refrigerated sales space across the entire width of the at least one door.
In another embodiment, the deflecting element is attached to the at least one door by means of an adhesive, in particular by means of an adhesive tape. The adhesive, in particular the adhesive tape, allows a secure and convenient attachment of the deflecting element to the at least one door.
In another embodiment, a refrigerated merchandiser includes a cold air flow guide section having a reduced width to increase the cold air flow rate. Such a cold air flow guide section generates a local low pressure and thus a suction effect which draws warm air through the at least one warm air channel into the refrigerated sales space. In order to produce the suction effect at the lower portion of the at least one door, the cold air flow guide section may in particular be located between a bottom part of the front of the refrigerated sales space and the rear side of the lowermost portion of the at least one door and/or the rear side of the lower door frame part, substantially at the level of the warm air channel outlet.
In another embodiment, the refrigerated merchandiser is configured to provide a flow of cold air, i.e., a "curtain of cold air," that flows substantially vertically in a downward direction in front of the refrigerated sales space along the inner surface of the at least one door in its closed position. Such a curtain of cold air provides additional insulation at the front of the refrigerated sales space and separates the goods stored in the refrigerated sales space from the ambient air when the at least one door is opened.
In another embodiment, at least one elastic buffer is provided between the stopping rod and the door for buffering the impact of the door on the stopping rod when the door is closed and for maintaining a defined gap between the door and the stopping rod when the door is closed so as to realize an intermediate portion of the warm air passage.
In another embodiment, the refrigerated merchandiser further includes at least one return air opening within the refrigerated sales space. The at least one return air opening is disposed at a bottom of the refrigerated sales space proximate to the at least one warm air channel and is configured to receive warm air drawn through the at least one warm air channel and cold air from the refrigerated sales space. This allows to effectively remove warm air drawn in from the refrigerated sales space through the at least one warm air channel and to avoid an undesired increase in the temperature within the refrigerated sales space and in particular of the food products stored therein.
The at least one return air opening may be covered by a return air grille in order to prevent items and other objects from falling into the return air duct.
In another embodiment, the at least one return air opening is fluidly connected to a return air duct housing the at least one fan. The fan is configured for conveying air that has been received by the at least one return air opening to an evaporator of the refrigeration circuit for cooling a mixture of return cool air and warm air that has been drawn into the refrigerated sales space through the at least one warm air channel. This allows the temperature within the refrigerated sales space to be maintained within appropriate limits.
The return air duct and/or the evaporator are arranged in particular below and/or behind the rear side of the refrigerated sales space.
While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
Reference mark
1 apparatus body
2 evaporator
3 Fan
4 backflow air grille
5 exhaust port
Upper part of 6a door support frame
6b lower part of door supporting frame
7 door hinge
7a frame side hinge element
7b door side hinge element
7c connecting hinge element
8 door
8a internal glass plate
8b Heat insulation cavity
8c external glass plate
8d glass spacer element
8e lower part of the outer glass pane
9 sealing element
10 refrigerated merchandiser
11 into the area
12a inner surface of the stopper rod
12b upper edge of the stopper rod
12 stop lever
13 elastic buffer
18 warm air channel
18a outer portion of warm air channel
18b middle part of warm air channel
18c inner part of warm air channel
19a, 19b, 19c deflecting inclined straight portions of the elements
20 deflecting element (first embodiment)
20a first planar surface of a deflection element
20b second planar surface of deflection element
20c a third surface of the deflection element
21 deflecting element (second embodiment)
21a upper deflection part of the deflection element
21b central part of the deflecting element
21c lower fixing part of deflecting element
21d lower tip of upper deflection section
22 shelves/racks
23 adhesive tape
24 vertical cold air duct
25 horizontal cold air pipeline
26 return air duct
28 refrigerated sales space
29 back side of refrigerated sales space
30 cool air opening
32 cold air flow guiding section
34 return air opening
36 low pressure region
A ambient air
C cold air flow
D width of vertical part of warm air channel
H1Height of outer portion of warm air channel
H2Height of inner portion of warm air channel
h height of deflecting element
Projection of the tip of the L-shaped deflecting element into the refrigerated sales space with respect to the inner surface of the stop lever
W ambient air flow
Claims (29)
1. Refrigerated sales furniture (10), comprising:
an appliance main body (1) that provides a refrigerated sales space (28);
at least one access area (11) for accessing the refrigerated sales space (28);
at least one door (8) supported by the upper portion (6 a) and the lower portion (6 b) of the door support frame at said at least one access area (11);
at least one return air opening (34) provided at the bottom of the refrigerated sales space (28) near the at least one door (8) for receiving a cold air flow (C) flowing substantially vertically in a downward direction in at least a lower front portion of the refrigerated sales space (28);
a deflecting element fixed to the inner surface of said at least one door (8) for deflecting said cold air flow (C); and
at least one warm air channel (18) extending between the inside and the outside of the refrigerated sales furniture (10), the channel being configured to guide warm air from an area in front of the refrigerated sales furniture (10) into the refrigerated sales furniture (10) to keep the temperature at the lower portion of the at least one door (8) above the dew point temperature of the ambient air (A);
wherein the refrigerated sales furniture (10) is configured such that a warm air stream (W) is drawn by the cold air stream (C) through the at least one warm air channel (18) and merges with the cold air stream (C); and is
Wherein the at least one warm air channel (18) comprises an outer portion (18 a) and an inner portion (18 c), the outer portion (18 a) extending horizontally below the at least one door (8), the inner portion (18 c) extending horizontally between a portion of the deflecting element and an upper end of a stop bar (12) provided at the lower portion (6 b) of the door supporting frame; and
a vertically extending intermediate portion (18 b), said intermediate portion (18 b) being located between a rear side of a lower portion of said at least one door (8) and a front side portion of said stop bar (12), wherein said intermediate portion (18 b) fluidly connects said outer portion (18 a) with said inner portion (18 c) of said at least one warm air channel (18).
2. Refrigerated sales furniture (10) of claim 1, wherein the intermediate portion (18 b) has a width (D) of 3 to 10 mm.
3. Refrigerated sales furniture (10) of claim 2, wherein the intermediate portion (18 b) has a width (D) of 4 to 6 mm.
4. Refrigerated sales furniture (10) of claim 1, wherein the deflecting element comprises a central portion (21 b) extending parallel to the inner surface of the at least one door (8), a lower fixing portion (21 c) extending along a lower edge of the at least one door (8), and an upper deflecting portion (21 a), the upper deflecting portion (21 a) extending from the inner surface of the at least one door (8) into the refrigerated sales space (28).
5. Refrigerated sales furniture (10) of claim 4, wherein the central portion (21 b) and the lower fixing portion (21 c) extend orthogonally with respect to each other.
6. Refrigerated sales furniture (10) of claim 4, wherein the upper deflection portion (21 a) has a lower tip (21 d) extending downwardly into the refrigerated sales space (28).
7. Refrigerated sales furniture (10) of claim 6, wherein the lower tip (21 d) of the upper deflection portion (21 a) protrudes inside the refrigerated sales space (28).
8. Refrigerated sales furniture (10) of claim 6, wherein the horizontal distance (L) between the lower tip (21 d) of the upper deflection section (21 a) and the inner surface (12 a) of the arresting bar (12) is 1 to 5 mm.
9. Refrigerated sales furniture (10) of claim 8, wherein the horizontal distance (L) between the lower tip (21 d) of the upper deflection section (21 a) and the inner surface (12 a) of the arresting bar (12) is 2 to 3 mm.
10. Refrigerated sales furniture (10) of any of claims 4 to 9, wherein the upper deflection portion (21 a) has an arc-like shape.
11. Refrigerated sales furniture (10) of claim 10, wherein the arcuate shape of the upper deflection portion (21 a) has a radius (R) of 10mm to 20 mm.
12. Refrigerated sales furniture (10) of claim 11, wherein the arcuate shape of the upper deflection portion (21 a) has a radius (R) of 13 to 15 mm.
13. Refrigerated sales furniture (10) of any of claims 6 to 9, wherein the upper deflector portion (21 a) extending into the refrigerated sales space (28) is configured such that an outlet of the at least one warm air channel (18) into the refrigerated sales space (28) is oriented substantially parallel with respect to the flow direction of the cold air stream (C), the outlet of the at least one warm air channel (18) being formed between the lower tip (21 d) of the upper deflector portion (21 a) and an upper edge (12 b) of the stopper rod (12).
14. Refrigerated sales furniture (10) of claim 13, wherein the vertical distance (H2) between the lower tip (21 d) of the upper deflection section (21 a) and the upper edge (12 b) of the arresting bar (12) is 2 to 10mm long.
15. Refrigerated sales furniture (10) of claim 14, wherein the vertical distance (H2) between the lower tip (21 d) of the upper deflection section (21 a) and the upper edge (12 b) of the arresting bar (12) is 4mm long.
16. Refrigerated sales furniture (10) of any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the deflection element has a height (h) of 30 to 40 mm.
17. Refrigerated sales furniture (10) of claim 16, wherein the deflection element has a height (h) of 35 mm.
18. Refrigerated sales furniture (10) of any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the deflection element has a height of 10 to 20 mm.
19. Refrigerated sales furniture (10) of claim 18, wherein the deflection element has a height of 15 mm.
20. Refrigerated sales furniture (10) of any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the deflector element extends over the entire width of the at least one door (8).
21. Refrigerated sales furniture (10) of any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the deflection element is attached to the at least one door (8) by means of an adhesive.
22. Refrigerated sales furniture (10) of any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the deflection element is attached to the at least one door (8) by means of an adhesive tape (23).
23. Refrigerated sales furniture (10) of any of claims 1 to 9, comprising a cold air flow guiding section (32) having a reduced width to increase the velocity of the cold air flow (C), the cold air flow guiding section (32) being located between a front of a bottom portion of the refrigerated sales space (28) and a rear side of a lowermost portion of the at least one door (8) and/or a rear side of the lower portion (6 b) of a door support frame.
24. The refrigerated sales furniture (10) of any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the refrigerated sales furniture (10) is configured to provide a cold air flow (C) which flows substantially vertically in a downward direction in front of the refrigerated sales space (28) along the inside of the at least one door (8) when in its closed position.
25. The refrigerated sales furniture (10) of any of claims 1 to 9, comprising at least one return air opening (34) within the refrigerated sales space (28), the at least one return air opening (34) being arranged close to the at least one warm air channel (18) and being configured to receive warm air from the refrigerated sales space (28) that has been drawn through the at least one warm air channel (18) after merging with the cold air stream (C).
26. Refrigerated sales furniture (10) of claim 25, wherein the at least one return air opening (34) is fluidly connected to a return air duct (26) comprising at least one fan (3), the at least one fan (3) being configured to convey air that has been received through the at least one return air opening (34) to the evaporator (2) as part of the refrigeration circuit.
27. Method for reducing the risk of condensation on the surface of at least one door (8) of a refrigerated sales furniture (10), said refrigerated sales furniture (10) comprising:
an appliance body (1) providing a refrigerated sales space (28) for storing products to be presented therein;
at least one access area (11) providing access to the refrigerated sales space (28): and
at least one door (8) supported at said at least one access area (11) by an upper portion (6 a) and a lower portion (6 b) of a door support frame and movable between a closed position closing said at least one access area (11) and at least one open position allowing access to said refrigerated sales space (28) via said at least one access area (11);
a deflecting element fixed to the inner surface of said at least one door (8); and
at least one warm air channel (18) extending into the refrigerated merchandiser (10) from a front side of the refrigerated merchandiser (10) below the at least one door (8);
wherein the at least one warm air channel (18) comprises an outer portion (18 a) and an inner portion (18 c), the outer portion (18 a) extending horizontally below the at least one door (8), the inner portion (18 c) extending horizontally between a portion of the deflecting element and an upper end of a stop bar (12) provided at the lower portion (6 b) of the door support frame, and a vertically extending intermediate portion (18 b), the intermediate portion (18 b) being located between a rear side of the lower portion of the at least one door (8) and a front side portion of the stop bar (12), and wherein the intermediate portion (18 b) fluidly connects the outer portion (18 a) with the inner portion (18 c) of the at least one warm air channel (18); and is
Wherein the method comprises the steps of:
providing a flow of cold air (C) flowing substantially vertically in a downward direction into at least one return air opening (34) provided at the bottom of the refrigerated sales space (28) in at least a lower front portion of the refrigerated sales space (28) close to the inside of the lower portion of the at least one door (8);
deflecting the cold air flow (C) by means of said deflecting element for sucking warm air from an area in front of the refrigerated sales furniture (10) into the refrigerated sales furniture (10) through said at least one warm air channel (18) when the at least one door (8) is in its closed position for increasing the temperature at a lower portion of the at least one door (8) and thus maintaining said temperature above a dew point temperature; and
merging the warm air flow (W) and the cold air flow (C).
28. Method according to claim 27, wherein the step of providing a flow of cold air (C) comprises causing the flow of cold air (C) to flow substantially vertically in a downward direction in front of the refrigerated sales space (28) and along the inside of the at least one door (8) when in its closed position, and/or wherein the method further comprises the steps of: drawing the cold air flow (C) into an evaporator (2) through a return air duct (26) with at least one fan (3) after the cold air flow (C) has merged with the warm air flow (W).
29. Method according to claim 28, wherein the return air duct (26) and/or the evaporator (2) and/or the fan (3) are arranged below or behind the refrigerated sales space (28).
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2015/081009 WO2017108101A1 (en) | 2015-12-22 | 2015-12-22 | Refrigerated sales furniture |
| EPPCT/EP2015/081009 | 2015-12-22 | ||
| PCT/EP2016/077886 WO2017108281A1 (en) | 2015-12-22 | 2016-11-16 | Refrigerated sales furniture |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CN108463143A CN108463143A (en) | 2018-08-28 |
| CN108463143B true CN108463143B (en) | 2020-10-16 |
Family
ID=55024145
Family Applications (2)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN201580085491.7A Active CN108430277B (en) | 2015-12-22 | 2015-12-22 | Refrigerated merchandiser |
| CN201680075534.8A Active CN108463143B (en) | 2015-12-22 | 2016-11-16 | Refrigerated merchandiser |
Family Applications Before (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN201580085491.7A Active CN108430277B (en) | 2015-12-22 | 2015-12-22 | Refrigerated merchandiser |
Country Status (3)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (2) | EP3393306B1 (en) |
| CN (2) | CN108430277B (en) |
| WO (2) | WO2017108101A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2584613B (en) * | 2019-05-16 | 2023-02-22 | Aerofoil Energy Ltd | Process for optimising the position of refrigerator air guides in order to achieve increased energy efficiency of the refrigerator |
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Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| CN108430277A (en) | 2018-08-21 |
| EP3393306B1 (en) | 2020-09-16 |
| EP3393307A1 (en) | 2018-10-31 |
| EP3393306A1 (en) | 2018-10-31 |
| CN108463143A (en) | 2018-08-28 |
| WO2017108101A1 (en) | 2017-06-29 |
| CN108430277B (en) | 2021-04-02 |
| WO2017108281A1 (en) | 2017-06-29 |
| EP3393307B1 (en) | 2020-01-01 |
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