EP0991348B1 - Climatic condition reproducer cabinet - Google Patents

Abstract

An environmental cabinet including at least two opening leaves which have an insulating glazing unit composed of at least two glass sheets between which a vacuum has been created. The sheets are joined together around their periphery by an inorganic seal. The sealing between the two opening leaves is achieved by a vertical member which overlaps the edges of both opening leaves and is fixed to one of the edges.

Description

The invention relates to a climatic chamber furniture comprising at least an opening consisting of an insulating glazing unit composed of at least two sheets of glass between which a vacuum has been achieved and joined by a seal mineral.

The invention will be described more particularly for a refrigerated cabinet in which are exposed fresh, chilled or frozen products whose common name is "refrigerated furniture for sale", but the invention does not is not limited to this type of furniture, any piece of furniture with a warm atmosphere, wet or not, is also within the scope of the invention.

When products kept in a refrigerated enclosure must remain visible as is the case in many current commercial premises, equips the refrigerated enclosure of glass parts which transforms it into a piece of furniture refrigerated sales. There are several variants of these refrigerating cabinets of sale. Some are cabinet-shaped and so the door itself is transparent, others are chests and it's the horizontal cover that is glazed to allow observation of the contents and yet others constitute counters and this is the part that separates the public from the goods that is glazed. Whatever the variant of these refrigerated sales furniture, it is It is also possible to create glazed walls so that all the contents be visible from the outside.

The invention will be described more particularly for refrigerated furniture in the form of a cabinet, but the invention is not limited to this type of furniture.

In this type of display, it is necessary that the goods remain perfectly visible to the client so that it is possible to preselect goods without opening the furniture. Consequently, it is necessary to prevent the parties glazed furniture does not cover itself with condensation.

To avoid condensation, the method we use is, in general, to maintain the face of the glazing side of the environment at a temperature higher than the dew point of the atmosphere concerned. This goal is achieved by increasing the insulation performance of the glazing and sometimes, in addition, by making heat the face of the affected side. The simplest way to improve thermal insulation performance of a single glazing is to replace it with a multiple glazing. This technique is easy to implement in the case of refrigerated cabinets or chests, in fact multiple glazing units, consisting of two flat glass sheets mounted parallel to each other and separated by a gas blade easily equip this type of refrigerated sales furniture. However, the use of such multiple glazings does not prove totally satisfactory from a thermal point of view.

Several solutions have been envisaged to further improve the thermal insulation performance of these multiple glazings such as, for example, example, the use of thin layers reflecting infrared radiation or even the use of triple glazing which one of the blades of gas can be of Krypton. However, the improvement remains generally modest and the use of such glazing, because of their thickness and weight, requires the use of support frame which gives them a good mechanical strength, but which creates a large size.

The French patent application filed in the name of SAINT-GOBAIN GLAZING under the number FR97 / 09772 proposes a door or wall of enclosure climate, obviating the various disadvantages mentioned above. She proposes a door or wall of climatic enclosure constituted essentially an insulating panel composed of at least two glass substrates between which a vacuum was made, separated from each other by studs distributed over the entire surface and joined at their periphery by a mineral seal. Of this In this way, conventional insulating glazing units are replaced by an insulating glazing unit. consisting of at least two sheets of glass between which a void has been made that we will call thereafter a vacuum insulating glazing. This type of glazing vacuum insulation present for a total thickness significantly lower than that of conventional insulating glazing thermal insulation properties markedly improved.

The structure of such a vacuum insulating glazing has the advantage of being to confer rigidity and hold equivalent to those of a monolithic glazing of thickness equal to the sum of the thicknesses of the glass sheets, that is to say that the glass sheets behave as one whose thickness is the sum of the two sheets of glass. In this way, it is no longer it is necessary to associate this type of glazing with a support frame. So congestion is greatly reduced and mounting in the climatic chamber is significantly simplified.

However, the use of such a vacuum insulating glazing is not without consequences for the structure itself of the climatic chamber furniture, in particular when it comes to a piece of furniture whose internal temperature is strongly different from the external ambient temperature. Indeed, because of the presence of the gap between the two sheets of glass, it appears a difference of dilation between the two sheets of glass which is causing the appearance of a deformation arrow of the glazing. The inventors have shown that the the presence of such an arrow deformation of the glazing does not allow to use the usual structures of furniture and this, in particular, for reasons sealing. Moreover, the fact that the use of vacuum glazing makes it possible eliminate the presence of the support frame, it has proved appropriate to modify the structure of climatic chamber furniture in order to decrease the overall number parts and in this way simplify the assembly and reduce the costs of come back from the furniture.

Furthermore, the document EP 0 038 15 shows a piece of furniture provided with two opening but which consist of solid walls, the sealing between the two opening being made by two separate amounts which cooperate with each other, each of the amounts being mounted on the edge of one of the openings.

The invention aims to achieve an obviant climatic speaker cabinet to the various disadvantages mentioned above, meeting the criteria sealing of these types of furniture and proposing an easy realization to put implemented and economically advantageous.

The invention thus proposes a climatic enclosure furniture comprising at minus two openings consisting of an insulating glazing consisting of at least two glass sheets between which a void has been created and gathered at their periphery by a mineral sealing joint, the sealing between the two openings being realized by means of an amount overlapping the edges of the two openings, this one being attached to one of the edges, and creating a stop for these two openings. said sealing amount is made of plastic that conforms to the deformation due to the arrow of the glazing insulating.

In this way, it eliminates, compared to climatic enclosure furniture conventional, the intermediate amounts on which the opening was abutting so that the seal is achieved. Thanks to the fact that this amount is fixed at one both doors, it is possible to seal and block opening while simplifying the structure of the furniture and improving, in addition, its aestheticism.

This realization has the advantage of not creating constraints of resistance at the deformed glazing and not to create risk of rupture sealing on the entire length of the amount.

Preferably, said sealing amount has a magnetic strip at the level of its contact with the edge of the neighboring opening. So, we make a good contact between said amount and the opening in abutment while providing a closure hermetic said opening.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the part of said amount sealant comprising a magnetic tape is in the form of a bellows. In this way, when the opening comes into contact with said amount, the magnetic contact according to the deformation arrow is further improved thanks to fact that the bellows can also compensate for the deformation of the glazing. Of addition, the presence of this part in the form of bellows allows the amount seal the edge of the opening and part of the space between two openings, and thus avoids an accumulation of dust.

According to a preferred variant of the invention, the seal between the opening and the lateral ends of the piece of furniture is made at the level of the edge of the opening via a locally deformable seal in its thickness and on its width and disposed on said lateral ends of the furniture.

According to this same variant, in the case of a climatic chamber furniture comprising three doors, at least the seal between the two lateral ends of the opening, which corresponds to the independent door, and the piece of furniture is made level of the edges of the opening by a locally deformable seal in its thickness and on its width and arranged on the one hand on a part side of furniture and secondly, on an intermediate amount.

This is described with reference to the case of a furniture with three doors but must be understood to apply to all furniture with an odd number of doors and more precisely to doors that are independent, that is to say, no associated with another door and therefore in contact, on the one hand with a lateral part of the furniture and secondly an intermediate amount of furniture.

The inventors have also planned to apply such a variant, that is to say the use of a locally deformable seal in its thickness and on its width, and disposed on the lateral ends of the furniture, in the case of a furniture with a single door.

In this way, the usual contact between the internal periphery is eliminated. of the opening and the dormant of the piece of furniture which, because of the deformation of the glazing, can not be achieved according to a plan. A contact according to a plan makes it possible to obtain a good sealing; thus making a tight contact at the level of the singing of opening it, we keep a contact plan. Through the use of a deformable seal locally in its thickness and on its width, the deformation of the glazing by making a hermetic contact at each point of the edge of the glazing according to the deformation arrow of the glazing placed under thermal stress.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, said seal presents a width greater than the maximum width of the deflection arrow of insulating glazing. In this way, regardless of the temperature difference between the inside and the outside of the furniture, ie whatever the arrow of deformation of the glazing, the sealing between the opening and the lateral parts of the furniture is guaranteed. Side parts means the sides of the furniture having the greatest length.

According to an advantageous variant of the invention, said seal is flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or a material with similar properties.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the seal between the opening and the upper and lower edges of the furniture is made via compressible magnetic seals disposed on said edges of the furniture so that the contact is made on the periphery of the opening.

In this way, the inner surface of the opening is lightened and the seal compressible magnetic sealing allows a hermetic contact that absorbs the small deformation that can appear on this length of contact. Indeed, this contact length being smaller than that at the ends side of the furniture, the deformation arrow is much smaller and the contact can be made on the periphery of the opening without risk of rupture sealing.

According to an advantageous variant of the invention, the axis of articulation is eccentric with respect to the plane of said opening and the articulation element is stuck on opening.

According to a variant of the invention, the insulating glazing has leaves staggered over the entire periphery of the glazing and a heating network is deposited on the staggered area along the mineral seal. Thus, the appearance of condensation at the edge of the glazing can be eliminated, the edge of the glazing, because the mineral seal that creates a thermal bridge, forming an area particularly sensitive. Thanks to staggered lenses, this achievement is advantageously aesthetic and easy to implement.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, at least one of the glass sheets is covered with one or more functional layers on to least one of these faces. Such layers are, for example, layers low emissivity or hydrophobic layers. In the case where functional layer is carried out on an inner face of the glazing, that is to say on a face subsequently in contact with the vacuum, the invention preferably provides the elimination of said layer on the peripheral zone of the corresponding surface to the area covered by the seal; this elimination may allow a better adhesion of said seal.

Preferably, the insulating glazing is provided on at least one edge of a glued profile, in particular of semi-rigid plastic material with at least one part with metallic overextrusion. The term "profile" means all types of prefabricated profiles having a shape adapted to the function of said profile. Of preferably the profile is a semi-rigid plastic profile in order to be able to marry without significant constraints the deformation of the glazing. Such a glued profile on at least the singing of the glazing can perform various functions such as the protection of the heating network, protection of the edges of the glazing, fixation various elements such as hinges or handles or the improvement of the aesthetics of the opening. In addition, the use of such a profile is advantageous for producing the magnetic contacts provided. Indeed, it is possible to easily perform metal over-extrusion at determined.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the opening is provided with a spring-type return element. Such an embodiment is particularly advantageous from an aesthetic point of view. Indeed, it allows to eliminate the use of the torsion bars usually used, these bars being usually arranged in the support frame because of their volume not negligible.

These types of arrangements have many advantages. First of all, because of the rigidity and the mechanical strength of the insulating glazing, it is not necessary to associate the insulating glazing with a support frame as on glazing common multiples, support frame that significantly increases the clutter general opening and therefore accordingly that of the furniture.

Then, the use of insulating glazing under vacuum allows, as explained previously, to achieve better thermal insulation than glazing usual insulators, for a lower thickness and weight.

The climatic chamber furniture according to the invention allows, moreover, significantly improve the exterior aesthetic appearance of these furniture. So, the furniture face including the opening can be almost in the glass of the fact the lack of support frames and it is possible to provide a small space between the opening without hindrance for the opening or closing of the furniture.

The climatic chamber furniture according to the invention makes it possible to respond to sealing criteria required for these types of furniture, are easy to achieve and this without increasing, or even decreasing, the cost of furniture.

• Figure 1a : une coupe horizontale d'un vitrage isolant sous vide selon l'invention,
• Figure 1b : une vue de face du vitrage selon la figure 1,
• Figure 2 : une coupe horizontale de deux ouvrants voisins d'un meuble d'enceinte climatique selon l'invention,
• Figure 3a : une coupe horizontale de la partie inférieure comprenant les ouvrants d'un meuble d'enceinte climatique selon l'invention,
• Figure 3b : une coupe horizontale de la partie centrale comprenant les ouvrants d'un meuble d'enceinte climatique selon l'invention,
• Figure 4 : une coupe verticale d'un ouvrant d'un meuble d'enceinte climatique selon l'invention.

Other details and advantageous features of the invention will emerge, below, from the description of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the appended figures which represent:

• FIG. 1a : a horizontal section of a vacuum insulating glazing unit according to the invention,
• FIG. 1b : a front view of the glazing unit according to FIG. 1,
• 2 : a horizontal section of two adjacent openings of a climatic chamber furniture according to the invention,
• 3a : a horizontal section of the lower part comprising the opening of a climatic chamber furniture according to the invention,
• 3b : a horizontal section of the central part comprising the opening of a climatic chamber furniture according to the invention,
• Figure 4 : a vertical section of an opening of a climate cabinet furniture according to the invention.

First of all, for the sake of clarity, not all figures do not strictly respect the proportions between the various elements.

FIGS. 1a and 1b show the vacuum insulating glazing 1 which is going to be used on a climatic chamber furniture according to the invention.

Insulating glass 1 consists of two sheets of glass 2 and 3 between which a vacuum 4 has been made, separated from one another by studs 5 distributed over the entire surface and joined at their periphery by a mineral seal 6. The glass sheet 3 is smaller than the glass sheet 2 and is centered on the latter.

According to these representations, the glass sheet 2 is coated on the edge of its inner face of an enamel layer 7 deposited by screen printing so that minus the mineral seal 6 is not visible on the outside of the glazing insulating 1. The glass sheet 2 is also coated on the edge of its face internal along the mineral sealing joint 6 of a heating network 8 deposited by serigraphy.

This heating network 8 is connected to an electric circuit by any known means of the skilled person and not shown in the figures. Preferably, this network 8 is a 0.5 mm wide and 10 μm silver paste bead thick.

The pads 5 have a thickness of 0.2 mm and a diameter of 0.4 mm. They are distributed over the entire surface of the glass sheets and are distant from each other. others of 30 mm.

The studs 5 are deposited on one of the glass sheets 2 and 3 after the sheet of glass 2 was coated with the layer 7 and the heating network 8, and then the glass sheets 2 and 3 have been soaked. After depositing a bead of frit glass at the periphery of the glass sheet 3, the two glass sheets 2 and 3 are assembled, then heat treatment of the assembly to achieve the welding of the two glass sheets 2 and 3, the sealing joint 6 then forming the tightness of the whole. We then realize the gap between the two sheets of glass 2 and 3 by any means known to those skilled in the art such as, for example, by the process described in the French patent application filed in the name of SAINT-GOBAIN GLAZING under the number FR98 / 01278. The insulating glass 1 is then ready to be equipped with its elements to constitute the opening of the speaker cabinet climatic according to the invention.

FIG. 2 represents a horizontal section of two neighboring openings in closing position.

The insulating glazing unit 1 is provided at the periphery with sections 9 and 10 made of semi-rigid plastic such as, for example, polyvinyl chloride. These sections 9 and 10 are attached to the insulating glazing unit 1 via cords of adhesive 11, so as to cover the offset zone of the two glass sheets 2 and 3 and the edge of the insulating glass 1. The profile 9 also makes it possible to fix the handle 12 which is shown in Figure 3b.

According to this representation, the edges of the openings provided with the profiles 9 and 10 are overlapped by an amount 13 which thus makes it possible to seal in this part of the furniture and creates a stop for these two openings. This 13 is advantageously made of plastic material such as PVC so that it marries the deformation of insulating glass 1 without creating constraints.

Advantageously, this amount 13 is fixed to one of the openings by embedding and gluing it in the profile 10. The part of the amount 13 contacting the profile 9 has a magnetic strip 14 and the profile 9 has a metal over-extrusion 15 at this contact. Of this way, the contact between these two elements 9 and 13 is hermetic. Of preferably, the portion of the upright 13 having the magnetic strip 14 is realized in the form of a bellows 16. This bellows 16 thus improves the seal at the level of this contact compensating, in addition to the fact that the amount 13 wife already the deformation of the insulating glazing 1, the deflection deflection of the insulating glazing 1.

Figures 3a and 3b respectively represent a horizontal section of the lower part and a horizontal section of the central part comprising the opening in the closed position of a climatic chamber furniture according to the invention.

In 17 and 18 are shown the lateral ends of the speaker cabinet climatic according to the invention. On each of these ends 17 and 18 is a seal 19 locally deformable in its thickness and on its width. FIGS. 3a and 3b make it possible to understand the interest of such a seal 19. In fact, the difference in position of the opening between the lower part and the upper part of this is due to the deflection deflection of the insulating glazing unit 1 when the latter is put under thermal stress. Thus, the seal 19 seals all over the height of the opening.

Advantageously, the sections 9 and 10 are positioned indifferently on the central opening of the furniture that on the side opening, even if the shape particular of these profiles is not always essential. For example, the section 10 has a mounting area provided for fixing the amount 13. This zone is, for example, useless when this part of the opening is positioned at one end of the cabinet. However, it has proved to be more profitable and simpler to realize opening all having the same structure as provide openings whose structure would depend on the position of the opening at furniture level.

FIG. 4 represents a vertical section of an opening in the position of closing a climatic chamber furniture according to the invention.

According to this representation, the insulating glazing 1 is put under stress which explains its slightly convex shape, the temperature at the interior of the furniture being weaker than the outside temperature. Glazing insulator 1 is provided at the periphery of the profiles 9 previously described. These profiles 9 come into contact with seals 20 glued on the furniture 21. These seals 20 are compressible in their thickness and have a band magnetic 22 which is facing the metal overextrusion 15 of the profile 9.

This type of climatic chamber furniture thus described is easy to produce and to ask because does not require a lot of parts. It provides insulation indisputable thermal as well as a very good seal while being particularly aesthetic.

The invention is not limited to this particular type of embodiment and must be interpreted in a non-limiting way and encompassing any device within the framework of present claims.

Claims (13)

1. Climatic enclosure furniture comprising at least two opening parts consisting of insulating glazing (1) composed of at least two sheets of glass (2, 3) between which a vacuum has been produced and joined at their periphery by a mineral sealing joint (6), the seal between the two opening parts being produced by means of an upright (13) which is fixed to one of the edges of the two opening parts and which straddles the edges of the two opening parts so as to create a stop for these two opening parts, the said sealing upright (13) being made from plastics material which adopts the deformation due to the flexing of the glazing.
2. Climatic enclosure furniture according to Claim 1, characterised in that the said sealing upright (13) has a magnetic strip (14) at its contact with the edge of the adjoining opening part.
3. Climatic enclosure furniture according to Claim 2, characterised in that the part of the sealing upright comprising a magnetic strip is in the form of a bellows (16).
4. Climatic enclosure furniture according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the seal between the opening part and the lateral end (17, 18) of the furniture is produced at the edge of the opening part by means of a sealing joint (19) deformable locally in its thickness and over its width and disposed on the said lateral ends (17, 18) of the furniture.
5. Climatic enclosure furniture according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises an odd number of doors or opening parts and in that at least the seal between the two lateral ends of an opening part which corresponds to an independent door and the furniture is produced at the edges of the opening part by means of a sealing joint deformable locally in its thickness over its width and disposed on the one hand on a lateral part of the furniture and on the other hand on an intermediate upright.
6. Climatic enclosure furniture according to Claim 4 or 5, characterised in that the said sealing joint (19) has a width greater than the maximum width of the deformation flexion of the glazing.
7. Climatic enclosure furniture according to Claims 4 to 6, characterised in that the said sealing joint (19) is made from biocidal flexible polyvinyl chloride.
8. Climatic enclosure furniture according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the seal between the opening part and the top and bottom edges of the furniture is produced by means of compressible magnetic sealing joints (20) disposed on the said edges of the furniture so that the contact is achieved at the periphery of the opening part.
9. Climatic enclosure furniture according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the axis of articulation of the opening part is off-centre with respect to the plane of the said opening part and in that the articulation element is adhesively bonded to the opening part.
10. Climatic enclosure furniture according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the insulating glazing has offset sheets of glass (2, 3) over the entire periphery and in that a heating network (8) is deposited on the offset area along the mineral sealing joint (6).
11. Climatic enclosure furniture according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one sheet of glass in the insulating glazing is covered with one or more functional layers on at least one of these faces.
12. Climatic enclosure furniture according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the insulating glazing (1) is provided on at least its edge with an adhesively bonded profiled section (9, 10), in particular made from semi-rigid plastics material with at least one part having a metallic extrusion (15).
13. Climatic enclosure furniture according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the opening part is provided with a return element of the spring link type.

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