Refrigeration – Display type – With feature extraneous to cabinet or cooler
Patent
1993-11-23
1995-06-06
Tapolcai, William E.
Refrigeration
Display type
With feature extraneous to cabinet or cooler
62264, 312116, A47F 304
Patent
active
054211700
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to an arrangement pertaining to refrigerator and freezer gondolas, for displaying merchandise in self-service, retail stores.
The tops of such gondolas are left open, without the provision of a lid or corresponding device. It will be obvious that large quantities of heat flow into the gondolas and that this heat is cooled by the gondola refrigerating machine. This makes the gondolas relatively expensive to run. Although a lid or like device would reduce refrigeration load on the gondola, the gondola would have far less attraction to the customer. In order to reduce the extent to which heat enters the gondolas when the stores are closed, it is usual to cover the gondolas with a covering of woven plastic for instance. However, this will only prevent the ingress of convection heat.
The present invention reduces the exchange of heat between the merchandise in the gondola and the surroundings effectively, even during store opening times when the gondola is used as intended.
The present invention thus relates to an arrangement pertaining to refrigerator and freezer gondolas of the kind used to display merchandise in self-service retail stores and which are upwardly open and with a cover over and spaced above the opening of the gondola so as to expose the refrigerated or frozen sales merchandise, the invention being characterized in that there is mounted above the gondola opening an upper glass plate which has a size and position such as to essentially cover the gondola opening as seen in vertical projection; and in that the glass plate is provided on that surface thereof which faces towards the gondola opening with an infrared reflecting layer having an emissivity number or factor below 0.2, preferably 0.1
The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to exemplifying embodiments thereof and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
FIG. 1 is a side view of a gondola with which the invention is applied;
FIG. 2 shows the gondola of FIG. 1 from its short end;
FIG. 3 illustrates a modified form of the gondola shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 5 illustrates a modified form of the invention;
FIG. 6 illustrates part of a glass plate; and
FIG. 7 illustrates another modified embodiment of the invention.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a refrigerator or freezer gondola 1 of the kind used to exhibit merchandise in self-service retail stores, the gondola being open upwardly so as to expose the refrigerated or frozen merchandise on sale and so as to enable the customer to remove merchandise readily from the gondola. Such gondolas are extremely common and can be found in many different sizes and designs.
According to the present invention, an upper glass plate 3 is mounted above the access opening 2 of the gondola 1. The glass plate 3 has a size and positioning such as to generally cover the gondola opening 2, as seen in vertical projection. According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the glass plate 3 has a width which exceeds the width of the gondola opening 2, preferably, by from 20 to 50%. The length of the glass plate equals the length of the gondola, although it may alternatively be slightly longer.
According to the invention, the surface 4 of the glass plate 3 facing towards the gondola opening 2 is provided with an infrared reflecting coating 5 having an emissivity number or factor of below 0.2, preferably below 0.1.
FIG. 6 illustrates a part of a glass plate 3, in which the infrared reflecting layer 5 is shown in broken lines.
By arranging a glass plate in this way and providing the glass plate with an infrared reflecting layer of low emissivity factor, the radiation exchange between the merchandise in the gondola and the surroundings is greatly reduced. Because of the low emissivity factor, the radiant efficiency between the undersurface of the glass plate and the merchandise will be very low, while heat radiated from ceiling light fittings, among other things, will be reflected back to the ceiling b
REFERENCES:
patent: 2093728 (1937-09-01), King
patent: 2644736 (1953-07-01), Atchison
patent: 2655419 (1953-10-01), Achs
patent: 4572598 (1986-02-01), Moore, Jr.
patent: 4580693 (1986-04-01), Frechet
patent: 5082334 (1992-01-01), Beyer et al.
Kurz Philip E.
Tapolcai William E.
Termofrost AB
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