Refrigeration – Display type – With air controlling or directing means
Patent
1998-04-13
2000-03-07
Bennett, Henry
Refrigeration
Display type
With air controlling or directing means
62458, A47F 304
Patent
active
060324759
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a refrigeration apparatus for cold merchandise, e.g., food products or containers holding beverages, particularly soft drinks, comprising a cabinet of a substantially rectangular shape in its horizontal cross-section having an evaporator and a fan placed at the top within the cabinet, and a compressor, condenser and fan disposed at the bottom of the cabinet, and where a compartment in the cabinet for the cold merchandise has a rear wall section, a front wall section, a bottom section, a top section, and side walls.
There are known several types of refrigerating display counters or cabinets for use in the sales of beverages and other types of food products requiring refrigeration. The known types of refrigerators for this use can be divided into three main groups.
The first type comprises coolers designed as a cabinet having a door or doors in front, the door(s) often being made of glass or transparent plastic. The merchandise itself is placed on shelves inside the cabinet. The cooling aggregate is often placed in a separate compartment at the bottom or top of the cabinet. The cooling air is circulated by means of a fan inside the cabinet. Some of the disadvantages of these types of refrigerators are that they are time-consuming to fill due to the need for stacking the merchandise on the shelves, particularly if there is to be a proper turnover of the products ("first in, first out"). To achieve satisfactory exposure of the merchandise, it is necessary to have a bright light inside the cabinet, which light will produce some heat and increase the need for cooling. Also, it may seem more time-consuming for the customer, for it is necessary to open and close a door in order to remove the product. U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,754 is an example of this type of refrigerator.
The second main type of refrigerator is the so-called "well cooler." These coolers are containers which stand on the floor and are open at the top. The shape may vary from rectangular to round. The cooling aggregate is placed at the bottom, closest to the floor. The cooling air is circulated through the double side walls and bottom of the merchandise compartment. An advantage of this type is that it is simple for the customer to remove the products. The cooler is easy to fill, but if proper rotation of the merchandise is to be achieved ("first in, first out"), the older products must be removed prior to refilling, and then replaced at the top. The exposure of the merchandise itself is unsatisfactory, as it is not possible to see the actual product before the customer is standing right beside the cooler. The cooler has a large exposure surface open toward the room, and the merchandise situated at the top of the container will therefore be subject to considerably less effective refrigeration.
The third main group of refrigerators is of a relatively more recent date. These may be s formed like a very large bottle or a can in order to give a clear signal as to the contents of the cooler. Norwegian patent no. 178510 describes an example of this type. A characteristic of this cooler is that the merchandise compartment has an open zone all the way around the container where the goods are displayed and which is easily accessible to the customer. The cooling aggregate with an evaporator and fan is placed at the bottom of the cabinet. The cooling air is pressed up to the top of the merchandise compartment through a centrally disposed duct. At the bottom of the merchandise compartment are provided holes through which the air is sucked out and sent on through the evaporator, also at the bottom of the merchandise compartment. Refilling of the goods is done through the top of the merchandise compartment. The geometric similarity to a bottle renders the cooler relatively tall and narrow, but also means that the capacity (the number of bottles or cans) is relatively small, at the same time as the refilling area at the top is situated high up. The cooler affords ready access from all sides. This also means, however, that it requires co
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Bennett Henry
Miller Austin R.
Norcool A.S.
Norman Marc
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