DE2158390A1 - Refrigerated counter - Google Patents

Description

Clark Equipment Company in Buchanan, Michigan (V.St.A.)

Refrigerated counter

The invention relates to refrigerated display counters in which on the front an opening is provided which allows unimpeded access to the cooled room. In the present invention circulates a curtain of cooled air over and through this opening cooled room downwards and then via channels in the substructure of the counter and via channels in the rear Part of the counter up again. A second, independent circulation system of cooled air provides a horizontal air curtain across the lower part of the cooled room and forms a separate cooling zone in the exhibition area. The counter also has movable locks via an opening in the back of the refrigerated room to provide rear access for the To create replenishment of the counter. In a special embodiment of the counter is a forced circulation of uncooled air under the counter is provided to cool air from the floor near the front of the counter.

The closest prior art is the following scriptures:

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U.S. Patent 3,358,467 shows a refrigerated counter with a horizontal circulation of chilled air.

U.S. Patent 3,392,534 shows one Refrigerated counter where chilled air is used both as an air curtain and as an air curtain cooling material flows around it.

U.S. Patent 3,392,544 shows the use of two air curtains;

U.S. Patent 3,528,258 shows two vertical air curtains that are arranged at 90 ° to each other.

In the present invention, there are two different and separate cooling air curtain systems intended. The first of these systems comprises a vertical curtain of cooled air, which runs through the access opening in the front of the refrigerated counter. The second of these circulatory systems includes a horizontal curtain of chilled air flowing over the floor of the chilled display area flows. A modification of the present invention has the refrigerated counter on the rear Access openings with movable closures, with vertical air returns on the sides of the Access openings are arranged.

Another modification of the present invention has a third air circulation system, the uncooled air moves along under the bottom of the counter.

It is thus an object of the invention to provide a refrigerated display counter having two vertical spaced cooling zones in the AtB & ellungsbereich.

Another object of the invention is to provide a refrigerated display counter with

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a vertical curtain of cooled air over the front of the counter and a horizontal one Curtain of chilled air over the floor of the chilled room.

The invention also aims to create a refrigerated counter with unimpeded access to Front of the same and limited access from the rear of the same, with two cooling zones should be available in the counter.

The invention also relates to a refrigerated counter in which a curtain of uncooled air is moved under the refrigerated counter.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing.

Fig. 1 is a cross section through the refrigerated eye counter j

Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of the counter;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the rear of the refrigerated counter.

Fig. 1 is essentially a section along the line XX of FIG. and Fig. 3 essentially a section along the line YY of FIG.

2 is the top of the refrigerated counter, 4 is the back wall and 6 is the floor or substructure. the This counter is used for hatching and selling refrigerated goods, especially food, used. The refrigerated counter has an opening 8 in the front that provides unobstructed access as well Shelves 10, 12 and 14 in the upper part of the housing for stacking and displaying the goods. It also has a floor or a wing 16, which is separated by a different and System is cooled and for stacking and for

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Healing of goods is used at a lower Temperature must be maintained than the goods that are housed on the shelves 10, 12 and 14.

A horizontal cooling air curtain is provided which extends over the goods on the floor 16 circulates and is independent of the vertical air curtain. The goods on this floor can therefore be kept at a preselected lower temperature than that used for the goods on floors 10, 12 and 14 is maintained.

This double curtain system is a new feature of this refrigerated counter design.

Another novel feature of this refrigerated counter is the rear wall 4, the sliding windows or - doors 18, which provide access to the refrigerated space from behind, to the supplement to accelerate the stock of goods stored in the refrigerated counter. The rear wall of the refrigerated counter covers also return lines 20 and 22 for cold air. These return lines 20 and 22 are parts of the supporting structure, which support the upper part 2 of the refrigerated counter. The cold one flowing up through the pipes Air first enters an antechamber located under the lines, from which it enters the lines and then flow upward through them into an upper plenum 26.

In Fig. 1, the upper part 2 of the refrigerated counter comprises, in addition to the collecting chamber 26, a fan 28 for circulation of air, evaporator coils 32, a cold air chamber 34,, lalHsie-like air baffles 36 and Air outlets 38. The upper part 2 of the refrigerated counter is covered by an insulating wall 40. Of the The bottom part or substructure 6 is also covered with an insulating wall 42. The bottom part 6

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has in addition to the bottom 16 an air inlet grille arrangement 44, which is in communication with a cold air passage 46, which in turn leads to the antechamber 24 leads.

The bottom part 6 of the refrigerated counter further comprises a self-contained cooling air system with inlets 47, an antechamber 48, a fan 50 for circulating the cooling air, a second antechamber 52, an evaporator 54 and air-conducting outlets 58. I.

A circulation system of non-cooled air is accommodated in the substructure under the cold air chambers and insulated therefrom. This circulation system of uncooled air comprises an inlet chamber 60, an outlet chamber 62 and therebetween a barrier 64,; which extends the length of the refrigerated counter. In the lock 64, a fan 66 is provided for circulating the air. The puncture of this circulation system consists in extracting ambient air from the area in front of the substructure of the refrigerated counter and blowing it backwards. In this way, the cold air that is otherwise on the floor in front of the substructure of the refrigerated counter is removed. An essential "

The puncture of this circulation system for non-cooled air is the removal of the cold air that comes out The access opening at the front of the refrigerated counter overflows to the floor. The removal of this Cold air on the front of the refrigerated counter is used for the convenience of the buyer as this cold air then yes is replaced by warm ambient air.

The way it works is as follows. The refrigerated counter shown has two different and separate air cooling systems and a circulation system for uncooled air.

The first cooling air system provides a curtain of cooled air over the access port of the 209824/0688

Counter and serves to hold the upper part of the refrigerated display case at a desired storage temperature, which in the preferred embodiment of the invention is about 3 - is 6 °. The air in this system is circulated by the blower 28, which maintains the pressure of the air in the chamber 30 via the K in _a mmer 26th The air flows in the chamber 30 over the evaporator coils 32, where the air cools. ^The air then exits evaporator 32 and enters chamber Jk . Part of the air in the chamber 34 forms a cold air curtain by means of the yes-like air guide grille 36 in the lower part of the chamber. This air is passed over the access opening 8 and forms a continuous air curtain 70 which prevents the high temperature ambient air from entering the cooling space which is located between this air curtain and the rear of the refrigerated counter and contains the shelves 10, 12 and 14 . Another part of the air in the chamber 34 flows through the openings 38, as a result of which, together with the air curtain 70, the temperature in the space behind the air curtain is kept at the desired low value. The inlet openings 44 along the edge of the front wall of the base _{there are} 6 take the same amount of air, which have been given beforehand by the openings 36 and 38 and so support the continuity of the air curtain 70 and the balance of the air distribution in the cooling counter. The air entering through the openings 44 flows through channels

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46 at the bottom of the substructure in an antechamber p4, which extends along the back of the substructure. This air then flows on up through lines 20 and 22 on either side of the access door or window 18 into the chamber 26, which extends along the refrigerated counter between the two lines 20 and 22 extends. The fan 28 then transfers the air from the chamber 26 into the chamber 350, whereupon the circulation cycle goes through again

will. |

If a cold room such as a storage room or a room where meat is processed is located at the rear of the refrigerated counter and the air in this room is essentially is kept at the same pressure and temperature as it is in the part of the refrigerated counter is desired, which includes the shelves 10, 12 and 18, the doors or windows 18 omitted and permitting permanent access to the refrigerated counter from its rear. Under normal operating conditions where

so air temperature and pressure on the back ^

the refrigerated counter is essentially not based on the in ™

the same appearing value are maintained, sliding doors or windows must be provided be in order to have access from time to time to replenish the amount on the shelves 10, 1 ?, and 16 housed material.

A different and separate cooling air curtain system is in the substructure of the Refrigerated counter provided to prevent this area from containing dead air, and also, the temperature to be able to keep the refrigerated counter in this area at a lower value than in the upper part

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215839Q

the refrigerated counter is available. For example, it may be desirable on the shelf 16 Store frozen food and keep it frozen until it is removed from the Customers can be removed through the access opening 8. The air in this system can also be on the the same temperature as in the upper system, with a minimum of contradicting lateral impairment between the air circulation of the two systems is present.

In the lower system, the air from the area surrounding the floor 16 is passed through the opening 47 in the edge of the front wall of the substructure 6 removed. This air enters the antechamber 49. The fan 15 transfers the Air from chamber 49 into chamber 52, thus keeping the pressure in chamber 52 above the in of chamber 49. The air in chamber 52 is then pressed by the evaporator 54 into a chamber 56, the extends along the refrigerated counter at the rear of the evaporator 54. The cold air in this one Chamber 56 then flows further upward through channel 57 and out into the storage room at Floor of the refrigerated counter over the 'louvre-like air guide grilles 58. The air forms one horizontal air curtain 59 * which extends over the top of the room containing the floor 16 extends away. The air curtain 49 is removed from this space through the openings 47, and the circulation cycle of the air begins again. Because the weight of air per unit volume inversely to the temperature increases, in a quantity of air the cold air has the tendency to be in the Gather lower area. For this reason

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the horizontal air curtain circulating over the top of the floor 16 can be kept at a temperature below 0 ° in order to keep the frozen material on the floor frozen, while the material located on the shelves 10, 12 and 14 temperatures above of freezing point. As a result, the refrigerated counter according to the invention can be used as a combined Display counter for frozen and chilled Serving food. · "

Since the cold air is heavier than warm air, the cold air has in the refrigerated counter the incline at the bottom via the access opening overflowing the front of the refrigerated counter and on the floor near the substructure to accumulate. This accumulation of cold air must be removed to avoid nuisance to buyers when removing goods through the front access opening. The invention provides a recirculation system for non-cooled air that draws this cold air from the front

removed the refrigerated counter and put it on the back g

lets out. This system includes an inlet chamber 60 with openings 61 extending along the front of the refrigerated counter. A second chamber 62 extends on the rear of the refrigerated counter and can either have openings 63 which allow the air to exit at the rear of the refrigerated counter, or openings 64 which, if desired, allow the air to exit on the side of the refrigerated counter. A lock 64 separates the chambers 60 and 62. A fan 66 circulates the air in which there is in the chamber

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an air pressure below ambient pressure and in the Kanuner 62 an air pressure above generated by the ambient pressure.

The present invention provides a refrigerated counter that is unimpeded Front access and either unobstructed or removable Has closure effected access from the rear. She has an air curtain over that Opening for unhindered access and return ducts for the air in the neighborhood the rear access to the refrigerated counter. The refrigerated counter also has a horizontal one Air curtain dividing the counter into two vertical adjacent cooling zones, of which the lower can be kept below freezing point, while the upper temperatures above has the same.

The invention also provides means for removing the cold air that enters the area expressed. Ib of the refrigerated counter below the opening overflows for unimpeded access.

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Claims (8)

215839Q 4 Düsseldorf, the PJ. 11.1971 Dr P./er (Case 292) Clark Equipment Company in Buchanan, Michigan (V.St.Ä.) Claims VL.J refrigerated counter with one cold room and one Front access opening for unobstructed ^ Access to the refrigerated goods cooled within the refrigerated counter, characterized in that means for Formation of an air curtain (70) directed across the access opening (8) is provided which prevent the ambient air from passing through the access opening (8) into the cold room, and that further means for forming a further air curtain (59) are provided in the cooling space which extends substantially horizontally at right angles to the access opening (8) and serves to divide the cooling space into separate, vertically adjacent cooling space zones. 2. refrigerated counter according to claim 1, characterized ™ characterized in that the lower cooling space zone has a lower temperature than the upper one. 3. refrigerated counter according to claim 1 or 2, characterized characterized in that movable closures (18) are provided on the back of the refrigerated counter which allow access to the cooling space through the closure openings (68). 4. refrigerated counter according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that under the refrigerated counter 20982W0688 a chamber (6o, 62) and means (66) are provided which remove cold air from the area outside the refrigerated counter below the access opening (8) through the chamber (60,62). 5. refrigerated counter according to claim 3 # characterized in that on the back of the refrigerated counter vertical KUhlluftlinien (20, 22) for the vertical movement of the cooling air outside the Cold room are provided. 6. Refrigerated counter with an insulated base, a removable rear panel and an insulated one Upper part, which extends above a cooled, forwardly open Aus & ellraums, thereby characterized in that means for forming a vertical air curtain (70) at the open face (8) of the bleaching room and means for forming a horizontal air curtain (59) in the lower Beteich of the showroom are provided so that two vertically adjacent cold room zones are created, 7. Cooling device with a plurality of refrigerated counters open at the end faces according to claim 6, characterized in that characterized in that the refrigerated counters are lined up with the front sides and one continuous Create an external storage room with two vertically adjacent cold room zones / that are horizontal in the longitudinal direction. 8. Cooling device according to claim 7, characterized in that the lower cooling space zone has a ' has a lower temperature than the upper section of the refrigerator compartment. 209824/0688