EP0769262B1 - Chest freezer and cover therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

The freezer cabinet has at least one storage space (39) with cold air inlets (18) and outlets (19) incorporated in its opposing sidewalls, fitted with a top cover (11) incorporating at least one transparent panel (27,28). This is positioned at a sufficient height above the air inlets and outlets to provide a still air volume (42) above the cold air circulation path (41) between the inlet and outlet openings.

Description

The invention relates to a freezer with one of Cold room accessible from above, by means of circulation cooling is cooled. The invention also relates to a cover for retrofitting such a freezer.

Frozen goods are available in stores from above Freezers are stored and offered in which they are kept at freezing temperature. They are freezers known with so-called "quiet cooling", where heat sinks on the side walls of the cold room are arranged, so the cooling of the refrigerator takes place only from the cold room sides. The cooling effect is least where the heat radiation greatest cold losses occur, namely in the middle of the opening of the cold room. Compliance with a sufficient low temperature of frozen foods in the The middle of the opening is therefore very difficult.

The ambient air constantly brings in moisture the cold room, the on the goods, the walls and the Heat sinks condensed and iced up there. This will make the Cooling capacity is reduced and there are further energy losses caused. In addition, the icing of the heat sinks can frequent defrosting required.

Especially in freezers with large openings is made For these reasons the cold room is cooled by chilling. The Cold air enters through a cold air inlet in the cold room wall in the cold room. On the opposite cold room wall there is an air outlet through which air is sucked in and an air cooling device is supplied, the cold air generated. The cold air flowing at the top of the refrigerator forms an invisible curtain against the ambient air and cools the cold room from above, exactly where the largest Cold losses occur. Ambient air is caused by the cold air flow taken, which is why no ambient air and no Moisture gets into the refrigerator. The cold air Constantly taken warm ambient air must be at freezing temperature be cooled, which requires a lot of cooling energy. The humidity of the cold air condenses on the air cooling device, which therefore often consumes heating energy must be defrosted. Outside of business hours Reduction of energy losses on thermal insulation covers the freezers are placed that have no view and no access allow on frozen goods.

FR-A-941 248 discloses a chest freezer, one Has circulation cooling and which is covered with a cover. The cover has a large side access opening, which extends the entire length of the display case. Within the cover forms a moderately cooled air volume that cooler than the ambient air of the cover hood, but warmer than the horizontal cooling flow between cold air inlet and Cold air outlet is. The moderately cooled air volume within the Cover hood is heavier than the ambient air, so it passes through its own weight through the access opening from the cover is pushed out. While the moderately chilled air in the lower Part of the access opening is pushed out, flows in the upper one Area of the access opening heated ambient air into the Cover into it. In this way, new moist constantly penetrates and warm ambient air that is carried away by the cooling flow becomes.

The object of the invention is to provide a device for the essential Reducing the energy consumption of a freezer create.

This object is achieved with the invention the features of claim 1 or 11.

In the freezer according to the invention is the refrigerator covered with a hood that is so high above the Cold air inlet protrudes that it has a substantially still volume of air above the cooling flow between the cold air inlet and outlet encloses. This volume of air forms an air cushion above the cooling flow, which on the one hand has a heat-insulating effect and on the other prevents the cold air with the cover hood washers comes into contact. This will make the disks kept at almost ambient temperature so that no condensation on the outside.

When the cover that seals off the ambient air is closed no moisture gets into the cooling air circuit. On the air cooling device, namely the Evaporator of the refrigerant circuit, therefore condenses significantly less moisture, so that too Defrosting the air cooler is done much less often must become. Experiments have shown that in one Chest freezer with cover, with the lid only is occasionally opened the air cooler icy about ten times slower than without a cover.

The cover has at least one as transparent Disc trained lid through which the Frozen goods visible from the outside without opening the lid is. The lid is used to remove frozen goods opened briefly so that an exchange of air from ambient air with the air inside the hood only is very rarely possible. Even if the lid is Removal of frozen goods is opened standing air volume essentially obtained as it is colder than the ambient air and therefore does not rise.

The cover gives the customer the impression that the frozen goods in the freezer carefully and well is kept protected and not the unrestricted random access is suspended. The frozen goods appears more valuable.

The walls above the cold air inlet and outlet are opaque and usually pulled up to the lid. The walls of the cover can also be used as be transparent panes. This is the Frozen goods view as good as with one Freezer without any hood.

Each disc is preferably a minimum distance apart 5 cm above the cold air outlet. Thereby it is ensured that each inside of the pane touches the warm, resting air volume, and not to the cold air, adjacent and therefore cannot fog up.

The panes of the transparent for visible light Lid and the walls of the cover can be attached to your Inside with a reflective heat radiation Coating should be provided. This will give off the heat radiation significantly reduced in the refrigerator. At the same time, the uncoated outside absorbs the heat radiation coming from the room. Thereby the lid or cover remains heated and one This prevents condensation.

The cover of the cover is preferably as Sliding door formed, which, in contrast to hinged doors, when opening and closing the door only slight air turbulence and an exchange of ambient air and cooling air or dormant Air volume occurs only to a very small extent.

The cover can be an integral part of the freezer and firmly connected to the cold room walls be. The cover can also be used as a whole Cold room be designed removable, so that this for easier filling, maintenance or cleaning more accessible is.

The cover can be cuboid or simple or be double-desk-shaped. Especially at the desk-like cover can be at the highest or another point of the cover a towering Writer for attaching markup and Billboards can be arranged.

The cover preferably has an outside air inlet and a higher outside air outlet, a heater in the area of the inlet is arranged, heated by the inflowing outside air which is then along the inside of the lid flows to the outside air outlet. The through the Air flowing in from outside air inlet is at the heater warmed, it becomes lighter than them surrounding cooler air of the standing air volume, rises to the higher-lying outside air outlet and leaves through the outside air outlet the refrigerator again. With With the help of the heating device, a thermal air flow generated along the lid. The flowed transparent lid warmed so that it is approximately Reached room temperature. This can also help with high humidity of the outside air condensation of moisture on the outside of the disc of the Lid can be prevented, so that even under this Circumstances of looking at the goods inside the refrigerator is always guaranteed and not by fogging the disks can be obstructed. The air flow along the inside of the lid has a slight Flow rate, so that from the hood enclosed standing air volume is not essential being affected.

The heating device can be used as a lighting device be formed, which on the one hand illuminates the cold room and on the other hand warms the incoming outside air.

The lighting device can have a reflector, which reflects the light towards the refrigerator and at the same time forms a heating element. The The reflector only shines light on the Fridge directed so that one next to the freezer person standing by the lighting device can be dazzled. The refrigerated goods in the cold room are therefore clearly visible. At the same time, the Reflector heat radiation of the lighting device, so that the air flowing into the lighting device on the side facing away from the lighting device of the reflector is heated and from there to the outside air outlet flows. By absorption of the heat radiation component the light source is preferably light in visible area (cold light) radiated into the cold room, that minimizes the heat input into the cold room.

The lighting device is preferably a gas discharge lamp, that of an elongated housing is enclosed. The housing serves as a support or as a handle for one person with the lid open and protects the lighting device at the same time Damage when filling or removing refrigerated goods from the cold room.

The cover provided with a heater is preferably designed as a single or double desk. The outside air inlet is one in the longitudinal direction running opening at the lower end of the desk roof, and the outside air outlet one in the area of the upper one Longitudinal opening arranged at the end of the pent roof.

In a second solution according to the invention Retrofit an open top freezer with circulation cooling a cover is provided, the more transparent Cover arranged so high above the cooling flow is that an essentially static volume of air forms under it. This is an option for conventional freezers created an all-day coverage afterwards to be able to install the energy saving, better protection, good visibility and Easy accessibility of frozen goods guaranteed.

The following are with reference to the Drawings embodiments of the invention closer explained.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht einer Gefriertruhe mit einer doppelt pultförmigen Abdeckhaube und einer quaderförmigen Abdeckhaube an einer Stirnseite der Gefriertruhe,

Fig. 2

einen Querschnitt entlang der Linie II-II der Fig. 1,

Fig. 3

einen Querschnitt entlang der Linie III-III der Fig. 1,

Fig. 4

eine perspektivische Ansicht eines zweiten Ausführungsbeispiels mit einfach pultartiger Abdeckhaube,

Fig. 5

einen Querschnitt einer Gefriertruhe eines dritten Ausführungsbeispiels mit einer Heizvorrichtung zur Erwärmung einströmender Außenluft, und

Fig. 6

einen Querschnitt der als Beleuchtungsvorrichtung ausgebildeten Heizvorrichtung.

Show it:

Fig. 1

1 shows a perspective view of a freezer with a double desk-shaped cover and a cuboid cover on one end of the freezer,

Fig. 2

2 shows a cross section along the line II-II of FIG. 1,

Fig. 3

2 shows a cross section along the line III-III of FIG. 1,

Fig. 4

2 shows a perspective view of a second exemplary embodiment with a simple desk-like cover,

Fig. 5

a cross section of a freezer of a third embodiment with a heating device for heating incoming outside air, and

Fig. 6

a cross section of the heating device designed as a lighting device.

In Fig. 1, a chest freezer is shown that there is a rectangular elongated chest trough 10, the top of which is covered by covers 11, 12 is. While on one end of the chest trough 10 a cuboid cover 11 is provided the remaining part of the chest trough 10 is of a double-console shape (Gable-like) cover 12 covered. The chest trough 10 and the covers 11, 12 together form an airtight space, from which no cooling air escapes or into which none Ambient air can penetrate.

In Fig. 2 is a cross section of the freezer with the cuboid cover 11 shown. The chest tub 10 consists of hollow side walls 15, 16 and one also hollow bottom wall 17. The cavities of the Side and bottom walls 15, 16, 17 are connected to one another, so that they form a U-shaped air duct. The U-shaped side and bottom walls 15, 16, 17 surround a cooling space 39 which is open at the top. At the upper end of one side wall 15 is to the refrigerator 39 towards a cold air inlet 18, and on the other side wall 16, the cold air inlet 18 exactly at the same height opposite, a cold air outlet 19 is provided.

In the bottom wall 17 there is a blower 21 transversely to the longitudinal axis the chest trough 10 arranged, the air through the Cold air outlet 19 sucks from the cooling space 39 and blows through the cold air inlet 18 into the cooling space 39. The blower 21 is adjacent in the bottom wall 17 as an air cooling device, an evaporator 22 arranged refrigerant circuit, not shown, which is the air conveyed by the blower 21 upon passage cools down by the evaporator 22. Immediately next to the evaporator 22 is arranged a heater 23, that of heating and defrosting the evaporator 22 serves if this is due to condensation of moisture the circulating cooling air is too iced up is. The chest trough 10 stands on a base 25 which may contain other units.

The cover 11 is laterally from vertical double glass panes 26 and upwards from two horizontal, staggered in height Glass sliding doors 27, 28 formed, which are transverse to the longitudinal axis of the freezer are slidable. The glass panes 26,27,28 are framed by frame strips 29 and held together.

Fig. 3 shows the chest trough 10 with a second cover 12, which is adjacent to the first cover 11. The second cover 12 is supported by vertical, double glazed side walls 30 and easy to the center of the chest sliding glass doors 31,32 educated. They can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the freezer. The glass walls 30, 31, 32 are made of frame strips 33,34,35,36 held or led. The top edge-side frame strips 34.35 and the upper middle Frame bar 36 have guides for the stackable Sliding doors 31,32, two of which are adjacent each offset in height from each other are.

On the upper middle frame 36 is a Cross section of triangular sign carrier 37 is provided, on both sides of advertising, information and Price tags can be attached.

In both embodiments, that is from the side walls 15, 16 and the bottom wall 17 enclosed space of the Chest tub 10 the cold room 39, in which frozen goods 40 are stored. In the upper area of the cooling space 39, Height of cold air inlet 18 and cold air outlet 19, no frozen goods are stored to the in Cold air flow 41 flowing from the arrow direction Cold air inlet 18 not to the cold air outlet 19 hinder.

The flowing from the cold air inlet 18 into the cooling space 39 Cold air has a temperature of around -30 ° C and heats up by absorbing heat, for example Frozen food 40 heat to about - 20 ° C when entering the side wall 16 through the cold air outlet 19. The heated air then flows through the side wall 16, sucked in by the blower 21, for Evaporator 22, where it cooled again to below -30 ° C will eventually return to the cold air inlet 18 and flow into the refrigerator 39. The flow rate the cooling flow 41 is 0.3 to 0.8 m / sec.

An essentially stationary one is formed above the cooling flow 41 Air volume 42.42 ', which is a significantly higher temperature than the air has the cooling flow 41 and to the side and upwards through the walls of the cover 11, 12 is limited. Between the stationary air volumes 42.42 ' and the cooling flow 41 finds no significant air exchange instead of. The air volumes 42, 42 'cause one good thermal insulation of the cooling flow 41. The resting Air volume 42.42 ' moves much slower than the air of the cooling flow 41. Nowhere of the stationary air volume 42, 42 'is the air speed greater than 0.2 m / sec., preferably not greater than 0.1 m / sec.

The lower ends of the side windows 26,30 are in a distance A above the cold air inlet 18. At the present distance A is approximately 10 cm ensures that the lower end of the side windows 26.30 adjacent to the resting air volume 42.42 ' and therefore no thermal bridge is created or that Fogged windows 26.30.

Due to the almost airtight cover of the chest tub 10 is the supply of humidity in the Cooling air circuit prevented. Icing of the evaporator 22 therefore proceeds very slowly, so that defrosting the evaporator 22 using the heater 23 needs to be done extremely rarely, namely depending on the circumstances, about once a week.

The glass panes of the walls 26,30 and the sliding doors 27,28,31,32 are on the inside of the chest Side with a heat reflective coating provided, which largely reflects the heat radiation. The discs heat up due to absorption of room heat radiation, but continue to emit practically no heat inside. By the temperature of the air volumes adjacent to the inside of the pane 42,42 'and by the self-heating of the glass panes the outside temperature is the result of heat absorption Panes up and fogging of the panes excluded. The coating is e.g. a tin oxide coating, which is about 70% of the incident long-wave IR heat radiation reflected.

The panes of the covers 11, 12 are made of glass, can but also from other transparent materials, for example made of plexiglass.

The covers 11, 12 are fixed to the chest trough 10 connected, for example by screwing but also if necessary for maintenance, repair or Care purposes can be removed from the chest tub 10.

4 is a second embodiment of a freezer shown, in which on the chest trough 50 simply cover-shaped cover 51 attached is. At the upper rear end of the desk-shaped cover 51 a label holder 52 is provided.

5 is a third embodiment of a freezer shown in cross section, which is a double console trained cover 60, whose Walls of side walls 61.62 and sliding glass doors 63.64 be formed. The side walls 61, 62 point to their upper ends one each horizontally in the longitudinal direction extending slot-like outside air inlet 65. At the upper end of the side walls 61, 62 in the area of the outside air intakes 65 is inside the enclosed space each have a lighting device designed as a heating device 67 attached, which is also in The longitudinal direction of the cover 60 extends and each is arranged in the area of the outside air inlet 65. At the upper end of the roof of the cover 60 forming Sliding doors 63, 64 is a longitudinally extending one Outside air outlet 66 arranged through the the heated outside air flows out.

The lighting device 67 shown in FIG. 6 has a fluorescent tube 68 which is of a tubular Housing 69 is enclosed, approximately one half pipe circumference as transparent protective glass 70 and the second half of the circumference is designed as a reflector 71 is. The reflector 71 is arranged so that it that emitted upwards by the fluorescent tube 68 Light reflected down into the cooling space 39, so that the goods 40 in the refrigerator 39 are well lit. At the same time, the reflector 71 absorbs heat radiation the fluorescent tube 68 and gives it to the outside of the lighting device 67.

The lighting device 67 is with suitable fastening devices on the respective side walls 61.61 attached. When opening the sliding doors 63.64 it remains in its position so that even in the open Condition of the cover 60 good lighting of the cooling space 39 remains guaranteed.

The housing 69 of the lighting device 67 protects the fluorescent tube 68 against accidental damage when removing or filling up refrigerated goods 40. An operator can also use a Hand on the housing 69 of the lighting device 67 support without damaging the fluorescent tube 68 could be.

When the lighting device 67 is switched on, the Reflector 71 of the lighting device 67 through their Heat radiation warmed up. The reflector 71 gives that absorbed heat from the outside and thereby heats the air surrounding him. The heated air is less specific gravity than the surrounding air of the Air volume 42 '', so that an air flow 72nd heated air rises along the sliding glass doors 63,64. The heated air finally flows through the Outside air outlet 66 again out of the cover hood 60, while 65 new, unheated through the outside air inlet Outside air flows in, which in turn from the lighting device 67 is heated.

Through the 63.64 on the inside of the glass sliding doors the glass panes become flowing warm air the sliding glass doors 63.64 to a temperature that approximates the temperature of the outside air. This means that even in very high humidity Outside air condenses on outside air humidity excluded the outside of the sliding glass doors 63,64. The view through the panes of the closed Glass sliding doors 63, 64 on the refrigerated goods 40 is therefore always free.

Claims (12)

1. A chest freezer comprising at least one cooling compartment (39) accessible from the top and cooled by circulation cooling, the walls (15, 16) of the compartment being provided with a cold air inlet (18) and a cold air outlet (19),

   a cover (11, 12, 51, 60) with an access opening being provided above the cooling compartment (39),
   characterized in

   that the access opening of the cover (11, 12, 51, 60) is closed by at least one lid (27, 28, 31, 32, 63, 64) in the form of a transparent pane, which may be opened for taking frozen goods from the cooling compartment (39), and

   that the lid (27, 28, 31, 32, 63, 64) is arranged at such a height relative to the cold air inlet (18) and the cold air outlet (19) that below the lid, a substantially stagnant volume of air (42; 42') forms above cooling flow between the cold air inlet (18) and the cold air outlet (19), the air speed of the volume of air not exceeding 0.2 m/s.
2. The chest freezer of claim 1, characterized in that the cover (11, 12) has transparent panes (26, 30) as its walls.
3. The chest freezer of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each pane (26-28, 30-32) of the cover (11, 12, 51) is higher by a distance (A) than the cold air inlet (18), the distance (A) being at least 5 cm.
4. The chest freezer of one of claims 1-3, characterized in that at least some of the panes (26-28, 30-32) of the cover (11, 12) have a reflective coating on their inner sides.
5. The chest freezer of one of claims 1-4, characterized in that the lid is a sliding door (27, 28, 31, 32).
6. The chest freezer of one of claims 1-5, characterized in that the cover (11) is parallelepiped in shape, the height above the cold air inlet (18) preferably being 5 to 30 cm, in particular 10 to 15 cm.
7. The chest freezer of one of claims 1-5, characterized in that the cover (12) has a desk-like shape, the height being at least 5 to 30 cm, preferably 10 to 15 cm.
8. The chest freezer of one of claims 1-7, characterized in that the cover (60) comprises at least one ambient air inlet (65) and at least one higher ambient air outlet (66), and

   that in the area of the ambient air inlet (65), a heating device (67) is provided that heats the in-flowing ambient air flowing along the inner surface of the lid towards the ambient air outlet (66).
9. The chest freezer of claim 8, characterized in that the heating device (67) is a heat radiating illumination means.
10. The chest freezer of claim 9, characterized in that the illumination means (67) has a reflector (71) arranged in the ambient air flow that reflects light towards the cooling compartment (39) and at the same time absorbs the heat radiation impinging thereon.
11. A cover for retrofitting an open-top chest freezer according to the precharacterizing part of claim 1, characterized in that the access opening of the cover (11, 12, 51, 60) is closed by at least one lid (27, 28, 31, 32, 63, 64) in the form of a transparent pane, which may be opened for taking frozen goods from the cooling compartment (39), and that the lid (27, 28, 31, 32, 63, 64) is arranged at such a height relative to the cold air inlet (18) and the cold air outlet (19) that below the lid, a substantially stagnant volume of air (42; 42') forms above cooling flow between the cold air inlet (18) and the cold air outlet (19), the air speed of the volume of air not exceeding 0.2 m/s.
12. The cover of claim 11 with the features of one of claims 2-9.

Images