FR2777985A1 - Refrigerated drawer for storing medicines in an upright cabinet, for use in pharmacies - Google Patents

Abstract

The refrigerated drawer (3) is part of an upright cabinet (1) with multiple drawers (2). The refrigerated drawer has fitted inside an isothermal chest (6) with an evaporator designed to receive the products to be stored, and a refrigeration unit with compressor and condenser, connected to the evaporator.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for storing

  products, especially drugs, which must be stored at a relatively low temperature. This invention relates, more particularly, to a refrigerating drawer intended for this type of product, and taking place inside a structure of a known type, called a storage column, consisting of superimposed drawers. Thus, the invention provides a device suitable for storage columns with drawers, which are furniture commonly used in pharmacies and pharmaceutical laboratories. Among all pharmaceutical products, only a small proportion of products need to be stored at low temperature. The storage of these products is generally done inside a conventional refrigerator (which is usually found in a kitchen). This storage method is not very practical for the user, and it has, in particular, the following drawbacks: - The refrigerator is, in general, at a greater or lesser distance from the place of storage of other pharmaceutical products, stored as shown above in

drawer columns.

  - The interior layout of a refrigerator is not suitable for the storage of small format boxes, the number of which can be of the order of a hundred, which leads to the piling up of products one on the other. others, with the

  may not find the product you are looking for easily.

  - The working position of the person looking for a product

  in the refrigerator is not very comfortable.

  - The size of the refrigerator is also relatively large, compared to the quantity of products it contains. - Finally, each time the refrigerator door is opened, all of the products it contains undergoes a thermal variation, more or less long and significant depending on the

  search time for a specific product.

  Other solutions have already been considered, but they are not entirely satisfactory, or do not correspond to real needs. Thus, the request for French utility certificate N 2455256 relates to a refrigerator for the preservation of pharmaceutical products, this appliance being integrated in a storage column with drawers. The apparatus in question takes the place of an ordinary drawer of the column, and it is used to produce cold and to distribute this cold to the other drawers of said column. The entire column of drawers is thus refrigerated. As mentioned above, only a small proportion

  of pharmaceutical products requires low temperature storage.

  This known device therefore does not appear to be adapted to concrete needs. In addition, depending on whether an ordinary drawer is at a greater or less distance from the refrigerator, the temperature inside this drawer can vary, and the device therefore does not guarantee storage at

  low temperature properly controlled.

  German patent application N 2744943 describes a cabinet for drawers for pharmacy, provided with a refrigeration device. This device also ensures the distribution of cold to a set of drawers, which is unnecessary compared to current needs. In addition, the refrigerating device described comprises an evaporator located at the top of a column of drawers, and connected by conduits to a compressor outside the cabinet, installed for example in a cellar. It is therefore a real heavy and bulky refrigeration installation, and not

  an autonomous and compact refrigeration device.

  The patent US N 5661978 relates to a refrigerating drawer for the storage of medicines which, too, is associated with a device

outdoor refrigerant.

  Thus, in general, the known solutions have the drawbacks of cooling the whole of a storage unit, and / or of locating part of the cold production equipment.

outside of this cabinet.

  The present invention aims to remedy all the drawbacks previously exposed, by providing an autonomous refrigeration device, making it possible to store small quantities of pharmaceutical products at low temperature, the device integrating

  completely in an existing drawer column, without modification of it

  this. To this end, the invention essentially relates to a cooling drawer, intended for the storage of drugs and similar products, intended to occupy the location of an ordinary drawer in a storage column, the cooling drawer comprising, grouped in a block unique and autonomous functional, an insulated box with evaporator, designed to receive the products to be stored, and a production group of

  cold with compressor and condenser, connected to the evaporator.

  Thus, the invention proposes a fully autonomous refrigerating drawer, both mechanically (this drawer replacing an ordinary drawer, of which it retains the dimensional characteristics) and in terms of the production of cold. Such a device has many advantages - It avoids the use of a refrigerator, located at a more distant

  or less from the main storage location.

  - The autonomous refrigerating drawer constitutes a device of reduced size, sufficient for the storage of products needing to be kept at low temperature, and requiring for its operation no connection to any external system (other than the supply of electrical energy) , hence an optimization from the point of view of space. - The device which is the subject of the invention makes it possible to store pharmaceutical products, requiring cold storage, in the middle of other products, the conservation of which does not require any particular precautions from the thermal point of view. -This device also makes it possible to keep, for the storage of products to be kept cold, a classification method in alphabetical order or in galenical form, specific to the

pharmaceutical field.

  -The insulated box keeps products requiring cold storage at the ideal temperature, avoiding unnecessary loss of frigories towards others

drawers of the storage column.

  - Insofar as it has the size of a conventional drawer, the refrigerant drawer object of the present invention can be easily adapted to a storage column already in place, by susbsistant to an ordinary drawer, and this with great flexibility of use: possibility of choosing the position of the cooling drawer, deleting this cooling drawer to replace a regular drawer, replacing other conventional drawers with cooling drawers (if conservation needs in the cold come to

  exceed the capacity of a single drawer), etc ...

  According to one embodiment of the invention, the refrigerating drawer comprises the functional block with insulated box and cold production group, inserted inside an existing drawer, which then serves as a support, and performs the function of sliding. In this case, the functional block in question can occupy either the entire interior volume of the existing drawer, or only a fraction of the interior volume of this drawer, the latter possibility being advantageous in the case where a very small quantity of products must be kept. in the cold, while

  drawers are relatively large.

  According to another embodiment of the invention, the refrigerating drawer includes not only the functional block with insulated box and cooling unit, but also a frame with sliding system, and it thus constitutes a complete drawer which replaces

to an ordinary drawer.

  Advantageously, the insulated box of the refrigerating drawer, object of the invention, is divided internally into several compartments, by internal partitions which are preferably modular. The upper part of the insulated box is closed by a plurality of thermally insulating hatches, giving access to the various compartments of said insulated box. These provisions further facilitate the storage of products, and above all they limit the thermal variations undergone by

  the products, when the refrigerating drawer is opened.

  The refrigerating drawer, object of the invention, can in particular be presented as a drawer of relatively low height, fitting into a storage column provided with a multiplicity of drawers of low

  height, which corresponds to a conventional structure of column with drawers.

  However, according to another possibility within the scope of the invention, the refrigerated drawer is presented as a drawer of relatively great height, equal to a multiple of the height of an ordinary drawer of a storage column; in this case, access to the interior of the drawer, therefore to products kept cold, can be done laterally, in particular by small side doors, themselves made accessible when the drawer is pulled out. In any case, the invention will be better understood using the

  description which follows, with reference to the attached schematic drawing

  showing, by way of example, some embodiments of this refrigerating drawer for a storage column: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a storage column, equipped with a refrigerating drawer in accordance with the present invention, according to a first embodiment; Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of this cooling drawer, according to 1-11 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view from above, without the closing flaps and with parts broken away, of the cooling drawer of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is a perspective view of another storage column, equipped with two refrigerating drawers according to the present invention, but constituting embodiments different from the previous one; Figure 5 is a side view, partially in section, of one of the refrigeration drawers of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view of the refrigerator drawer

of figure 5.

  FIG. 1 represents a storage column with drawers for pharmacy, designated as a whole by the reference 1, which in this example comprises three vertical series of drawers 2 of relatively small height h. One of the ordinary drawers 2 is replaced by a refrigerating drawer 3, with the same external dimensions (length, width and height), the refrigerating drawer 3 therefore also having, in particular, a low height h. Figures 2 and 3 show, in more detail, the structure of the refrigerating drawer 3. This drawer has a frame, provided in particular with lateral slides 4, the frame and the slides not being modified with respect to those of a drawer 2 ordinary. The refrigerating drawer 3 also includes a front panel 5, the structure and appearance of which are identical to

  front panels of other drawers 2.

  Most of the volume of the refrigerating drawer 3 is occupied by an insulated box 6, comprising a horizontal bottom 7, longitudinal vertical walls 8, a front vertical wall 9 and a rear vertical wall 10, of thermally insulating material, of thickness sufficient. The interior of the insulated box 6 can be divided into several

  compartments 11 by internal partitions 12, preferably modular.

  The upper part of this insulated box 6 is closed by a plurality of hatches 13 made of thermally insulating material; The opening of the hatches 13, made possible when the refrigerating drawer 3 is extended (see FIG. 1), gives access to the various internal compartments 11 of the box

isothermal 6.

  The refrigerating drawer 3 also comprises, behind the insulated box 6, a cold production group 14 itself composed of a compressor 15 of small volume, a ventilated or non-ventilated condenser 16, and an electric relay 17. The refrigeration unit 14 is connected, by conduits 18 conveying the refrigerant, to a flat evaporator 19 disposed horizontally, on the bottom 7 of the insulated box 6. The evaporator 19 is covered by a protective plate

  , also constituting the bottom of the compartments 11.

  The refrigeration unit 14 being connected to an appropriate source of electrical energy, by connections compatible with the sliding of the drawer, there is obtained in the assembly a refrigerating drawer 3 of autonomous character, replacing an ordinary drawer 2 and designed for receive, and keep cold, pharmaceutical products that need to be stored at low temperatures. To ensure proper control of its operation, this refrigerating drawer 3 can also be fitted with a regulation thermostat, guaranteeing an adequate temperature inside the insulated box 6, as well as an operating and / or indicator light. a temperature indicator placed on its

  front panel 5, these accessories not being shown in the drawing.

  FIG. 4 shows another storage column 1 ′,

  comprising ordinary 2 drawers and two refrigerated drawers 3 and 3 '.

  In the refrigerating drawer 3, which here constitutes a variant of the one described above, the functional block, comprising the insulating box 6 and the cold production group, occupies only a fraction of the total interior volume of the drawer 3. In particular, this block functional occupies only a fraction (about two thirds) of the total width of drawer 3, and the rest of the interior volume of this drawer constitutes a storage space for products that do not need to be kept

cold.

  The other refrigerating drawer 3 ′ visible in FIG. 4, and also shown in more detail in FIGS. 5 and 6, is of a configuration quite different from those previously described. In fact, this refrigerating drawer 3 'has a relatively large height H, equal to a multiple of the height h of an ordinary drawer 2 of the storage column 1', the width of the refrigerating drawer 3 'being however less than that d '' a drawer 2

  ordinary (for example equal to half the width of a drawer 2).

  The refrigerating drawer 3 'also has an insulated box 6, here of great height, behind which is placed the cold production group 14 composed of a compressor 15, a condenser 16 and an electrical relay 17, in connection via conduits 18 with a flat evaporator 19 arranged at the base of the insulated box 6, under a plate of

protection 20.

  A plurality of storage shelves 21 are placed inside the insulated box 6. One of the side faces of the refrigerating drawer 3 'is provided with several small side doors 22, preferably transparent, which become accessible when the drawer 3 'is out, and which then themselves give access to the pharmaceutical products placed inside the insulated box 6, on the

shelves 21.

  It goes without saying that the invention is not limited to the sole embodiments of this refrigerating drawer for a storage column which have been described above, by way of examples; on the contrary, it embraces all of the variant embodiments and applications respecting the same principle, whatever the external dimensions in particular.

  of the drawer, as well as its interior fittings.

Claims (6)

  1 - Refrigerant drawer, intended for the storage of medicines and similar products, to be stored at relatively low temperature, characterized in that it is intended to occupy the location of an ordinary drawer (2) in a storage column (1, 1 '), the refrigerating drawer (3, 3') comprising, grouped in a single and autonomous functional block, an insulated box (6) with evaporator (19), designed to receive the products to be stored, and a production group of cold (14) with compressor (15) and condenser (16), connected (at 18) to the evaporator (19). 2 - Refrigerant drawer for storage column according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises the functional block with insulated box (6) and cold production group (14), inserted at   inside an existing drawer (2).   3 - Refrigerant drawer for storage column according to claim 2, characterized in that the aforementioned functional block occupies the   entire interior volume of the existing drawer (2).   4 - Refrigerant drawer for storage column according to claim 2, characterized in that the aforementioned functional block occupies   a fraction of the interior volume of the existing drawer (2).   - Refrigerant drawer for storage column according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises not only the functional block with insulated box (6) and cold production group (14), but also a frame with sliding system (4 ), and thus constitutes   a complete drawer (3) substitutable for an ordinary drawer (2).   6 - Refrigerant drawer for storage column according to one   any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that its box   isotherm (6) is internally divided into several compartments (11),   by internal partitions (12), preferably modular.   7 - Refrigerant drawer for storage column according to claim 6, characterized in that the upper part of the insulated box (6) is closed by a plurality of hatches (13) thermally insulating, giving access to the various compartments (11) of said box isothermal (6).   8 - Refrigerant drawer for storage column according to one   any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it is   as a drawer (3) of relatively low height (h), fitting into a storage column (1) provided with a multiplicity of drawers (2) of low height (h). 9 - Refrigerant drawer for storage column according to one   any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it is   as a drawer (3 ') of relatively great height (H), equal to a multiple of the height (h) of an ordinary drawer (2) of a column of storage (1 ').   - Refrigerant drawer for storage column according to claim 9, characterized in that access to the interior of this drawer (3 ')   is lateral, and provided in particular by small side doors (22), they   same made accessible when the drawer (3 ') is out.