EP1753326A2 - Refrigerator case wall structure - Google Patents
Refrigerator case wall structureInfo
- Publication number
- EP1753326A2 EP1753326A2 EP05741316A EP05741316A EP1753326A2 EP 1753326 A2 EP1753326 A2 EP 1753326A2 EP 05741316 A EP05741316 A EP 05741316A EP 05741316 A EP05741316 A EP 05741316A EP 1753326 A2 EP1753326 A2 EP 1753326A2
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- panel
- uprights
- supports
- polymeric member
- screws
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D23/00—General constructional features
- F25D23/06—Walls
- F25D23/062—Walls defining a cabinet
- F25D23/063—Walls defining a cabinet formed by an assembly of panels
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47F—SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS
- A47F3/00—Show cases or show cabinets
- A47F3/04—Show cases or show cabinets air-conditioned, refrigerated
- A47F3/0439—Cases or cabinets of the open type
- A47F3/0443—Cases or cabinets of the open type with forced air circulation
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47F—SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS
- A47F3/00—Show cases or show cabinets
- A47F3/04—Show cases or show cabinets air-conditioned, refrigerated
- A47F3/0482—Details common to both closed and open types
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
- F25D—REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F25D2317/00—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- F25D2317/06—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass with forced air circulation
- F25D2317/066—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass with forced air circulation characterised by the air supply
- F25D2317/0665—Details or arrangements for circulating cooling fluids; Details or arrangements for circulating gas, e.g. air, within refrigerated spaces, not provided for in other groups of this subclass with forced air circulation characterised by the air supply from the top
Definitions
- the invention relates to refrigerator cases. More particularly, the invention relates to structural integration of insulated panels in walls of such cases.
- Refrigerator cases are used in a variety of commercial situations. One key use is for retail display and vending. Many such cases include a closed rear wall and either an open front or a glass door front.
- Insulation of the compartment of such cases relative to their external structure is important for a number of reasons. In addition to basic efficiency concerns, insulation may be appropriate to avoid or control condensation on components external to the compartment. This may be motivated by sanitary considerations in addition to refrigerator case longevity.
- modularity has been a relevant consideration. It is advantageous to be able to use at least some of the same components when producing a variety of sizes and/or configurations of case. Configurations have been developed that include combinations of external and internal structural components.
- one aspect of the invention involves a refrigerated case having a base and a number of supports extending upward from the base.
- a number of structural uprights are coupled to the supports.
- At least one insulated panel is positioned between the uprights and the supports and is secured to the uprights and the supports.
- a refrigeration apparatus is positioned to cool an interior of the case.
- At least the first of the panels has front and rear liner sheets.
- a transversely extending polymeric layer is at least partially between the liner sheets.
- An insulative foam layer is between the front and rear liner sheets.
- a number of fasteners secure at least some of the supports to the polymeric member and at least some of the uprights to the polymeric member.
- FIG. 1 is a view of a refrigerator case.
- FIG. 2 is a partially schematic side sectional view of the case of FIG. 1.
- FIG. 3 is a transverse horizontal sectional view of the case of FIG. 2.
- FIG. 4 is a back view of the case of FIG. 1.
- FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of an insulated panel junction of the case of FIG. 2.
- FIG. 6 is an exploded view of an insulated panel.
- FIG. 7 is a partially schematic side sectional view of an alternative refrigerator case.
- FIG. 1 shows a refrigerator case 20 having a front 22, a back 24, and left and right ends 26 and 28.
- the case includes a base structure 30, a rear wall structure 32, and a top structure 34.
- the case has a cooled interior volume or compartment 36.
- the exemplary case has a series of vertical groups of shelves 38.
- the exemplary case is a closed case having a sliding or hinged glass door front structure 40 and patch end or partition structures 42 and 44. Partitions are used where cases are arrayed side-by-side; patch ends are used at the two ends of the array. Alternative cases are open-front.
- the exemplary base 30 includes front and back transverse rails 50 and 52 for supporting the remainder of the base and, therethrough, the remainder of the case atop a ground/floor surface.
- the exemplary base 30 contains the refrigeration equipment (e.g., , an evaporator, and the like shown schematically as 60 in FIG. 2).
- the evaporator may be connected to a central compressor and condenser elsewhere in the facility.
- the case equipment could be self-contained.
- FIG. 2 further schematically shows an air flowpath having a first portion 510 carrying cooled air from the equipment 60 to a rear air flowpath section or duct 62. A second portion 512 flows upward through the rear duct 62.
- FIG. 3 shows further details of the rear duct 62.
- the duct 62 is segmented by a series of interior uprights including a left upright 70, a right upright 72, and a series of intermediate uprights 74.
- the duct segments are each bounded by an associated duct panel 80 (e.g., mounted by fasteners 81 to side portions of forward flanges 82 of the adjacent two uprights).
- each shelf 38 may be mounted to these uprights (e.g., a single width shelf spanning and mounted to exactly two adjacent such uprights via mounting apertures in root portions of the flanges 82).
- the duct segments are collectively bounded by the forward surfaces of panels of an insulated panel assembly 84.
- FIG. 2 shows the panel assembly 84 as including an upper panel 86 and a lower panel 88.
- each brace 90 Mounted to and extending upward from a rear end portion of each brace 90 is a rear external support 92. Each support 92 has a lower end 94 mounted to the rear end portion 96 of the associated brace 90 and has an upper end 98. As is discussed in further detail below, the panel assembly 84 is sandwiched between the uprights 70, 72, and 74 along the front and the supports 92 along the rear. [0019] It is advantageous to structurally couple the supports 90 to the uprights 70, 72, and 74 so that the supports can maintain the uprights vertical against torque and resultant bending associated with the cantilevering of loaded shelves 38. Advantageously, however, the coupling limits heat transmission from the supports to the uprights or otherwise through the panel assembly 84.
- FIG. 5 shows the upper panel 86 as including an insert 100 along a lower edge 102.
- the insert 100 is of a relatively rigid polymeric material (e.g., cellular PVC) between fore and aft face sheets 104 and 106 (described further below).
- the panel 86 includes a foam core 108 (e.g., of expanded polyurethane).
- Fasteners 110 and 112 respectively secure the uprights and the braces to the insert 100.
- the relative rigidity of the insert 100 is effective to maintain engagement with the fasteners and transmit force between the uprights and braces.
- Exemplary fasteners are screws such as self-boring/drilling, self-tapping sheet metal-type screws.
- the exemplary insert 100 may be manufactured by the Celuka process.
- the exemplary insert 100 has a cross-section generally rectangular (e.g., with rounded corners) with its longer dimension between the sheets 104 and 106.
- a central recess 114 Along the inboard of the long sides is a central recess 114.
- the recess 114 serves to provide increased surface area to promote adhesion and mechanical interlocking of the core 108 to the insert 100.
- the other long side is substantially unrecessed.
- FIG. 3 shows the left 70 and right 72 uprights as approximately inwardly-open C-sectioned members having a single fastener 110 extending through their rear flanges 120.
- Exemplary intermediate uprights 74 are generally I-sectioned, having a pair of screws 110 extending through a rear flange 122 generally on opposite sides of a central web or leg 124.
- the supports 92 have a generally rearwardly-open C-section and each have a pair of the screws 112 extending through their central forward web/leg 126.
- Other sheet metal screws 127 may each extend into one of the panel face sheets from either the uprights 74 or supports 92.
- the exemplary uprights and supports are out of phase so that each upright is transversely offset from the adjacent supports (or vice versa). As noted above, the transverse upright spacing may correspond to a shelf width/pitch.
- the exemplary uprights, supports, and braces are unitarily formed of a metal such as steel.
- FIG. 6 shows further details of the exemplary panel 86.
- the panel 86 and its sheets 106 and 104 have a common length L and height H.
- the exemplary L is greater than H.
- Exemplary H values are 0.8-1.0m. As is discussed below, exemplary L values are
- Exemplary thickness T (FIG. 5) is 4-6cm. Exemplary sheet thickness (not shown) is 1.0mm or less.
- the insert 100 Opposite the insert 100 along the panel upper edge are a pair of end-to-end aligned insert strips 130 and 132. Along the left and right edges of the panel between the insert 100 and the insert strips 130 and 132 are lateral edge insert strips 134 and 136.
- the exemplary insert strips have a rectangular section elongate between the sheets and are formed of a polystyrene foam.
- the strips and insert 100 may be assembled to the sheets by applying adhesive between the strips and insert and the inboard faces of the sheets adjacent the perimeter of each sheet. This may leave an empty interior volume between the sheets. A gap may be left between the strips 130 and 132 through which the barrel of a foam gun may be inserted.
- the gun may be swept to allow the foam to completely fill the interior space to form the core 108 upon hardening.
- a filler block 138 may then be inserted into the gap and secured by adhesive.
- one or more holes may be drilled in the insert and/or strips through which one or more guns are inserted to introduce the foam.
- the lower panel 88 may be identical to the upper panel 86. This may be so even if no fasteners are secured through the insert 100 of the lower panel. This use of the lower panel may be justified by economy of scale manufacturing considerations.
- the strip 100 may be replaced by one or more polystyrene foam strips (e.g., identical to the strips 130, 132, and block 138 for similar economies of scale).
- the strip 130 is shown shorter than the strip 132. This is merely another artifact of economy of scale manufacture. By providing strips of two different lengths, different combinations of such strips may be used to assembly panels of different lengths.
- FIG. 7 shows an alternate configuration of a case 200 wherein the supports 202 are substantially full height.
- the upper panel 86 is flipped (relative to its use in the case 20) so that the insert 100 falls along the upper edge. Fasteners may secure the uprights and supports to the insert as previously discussed.
Abstract
Description
Claims
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/US2005/014627 WO2006115501A2 (en) | 2005-04-27 | 2005-04-27 | Refrigerator case wall structure |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1753326A2 true EP1753326A2 (en) | 2007-02-21 |
EP1753326A4 EP1753326A4 (en) | 2009-06-03 |
Family
ID=37215158
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP05741316A Withdrawn EP1753326A4 (en) | 2005-04-27 | 2005-04-27 | Refrigerator case wall structure |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20080211367A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1753326A4 (en) |
CN (1) | CN101179964A (en) |
WO (1) | WO2006115501A2 (en) |
Families Citing this family (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CN102741632B (en) * | 2010-06-30 | 2014-12-17 | Lg电子株式会社 | Refrigerator |
NZ611793A (en) | 2011-06-30 | 2013-10-25 | Hussmann Corp | Apparatus for disease detection |
US9687089B2 (en) * | 2013-11-18 | 2017-06-27 | Heatcraft Refrigeration Products Llc | Insulated foam panels for refrigerated display cases |
JP6529252B2 (en) * | 2014-12-24 | 2019-06-12 | 株式会社オカムラ | Installation structure on a floor surface of a frozen / refrigerated showcase and its installation method |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3989328A (en) * | 1975-05-02 | 1976-11-02 | Whirlpool Corporation | Refrigerator cabinet construction |
US5517826A (en) * | 1995-03-14 | 1996-05-21 | Hussmann Corporation | Refrigerated merchandiser with modular external frame structure |
EP0974726A2 (en) * | 1998-07-24 | 2000-01-26 | The Stanley Works | Method for making foam filled doors and apparatus therefor |
EP1143215A1 (en) * | 2000-04-01 | 2001-10-10 | Seven-Air Gebr. Meyer AG | Thermally insulated double wall |
Family Cites Families (12)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2068532A (en) * | 1935-06-06 | 1937-01-19 | Gen Electric | Refrigerator cabinet |
US4141611A (en) * | 1977-12-16 | 1979-02-27 | Leon John N De | Cover for display type refrigerating cabinet |
SE429735B (en) * | 1981-12-10 | 1983-09-26 | Widman Jan Karl Anders | SELF-PREPARING LOADS, PICTURES ENDED, LOADS RECOVERY SPACE, REFERENCES FOR REFRIGERATOR / FREEZING TRANSPORT |
US4855567A (en) * | 1988-01-15 | 1989-08-08 | Rytec Corporation | Frost control system for high-speed horizontal folding doors |
GB2219814B (en) * | 1988-06-15 | 1992-08-19 | Steel Shield Limited | Improvements in,or relating to panels |
US5086627A (en) * | 1990-11-19 | 1992-02-11 | Margaret Platt Borgen | Removable cooling unit for display case and method for using same |
US5201191A (en) * | 1991-09-06 | 1993-04-13 | Leggett & Platt, Inc. | Refrigerated merchandiser |
US5357767A (en) * | 1993-05-07 | 1994-10-25 | Hussmann Corporation | Low temperature display merchandiser |
US5475987A (en) * | 1994-11-17 | 1995-12-19 | Delaware Medical Formation, Inc. | Refrigerated display case apparatus with enhanced airflow and improved insulation construction |
US6109712A (en) * | 1998-07-16 | 2000-08-29 | Maytag Corporation | Integrated vacuum panel insulation for thermal cabinet structures |
US7032401B2 (en) * | 2003-11-05 | 2006-04-25 | Leer Limited Partnership | Break down ice merchandiser shroud |
JP2005156117A (en) * | 2003-11-28 | 2005-06-16 | Sanyo Electric Co Ltd | Showcase |
-
2005
- 2005-04-27 CN CNA2005800496114A patent/CN101179964A/en active Pending
- 2005-04-27 WO PCT/US2005/014627 patent/WO2006115501A2/en active Application Filing
- 2005-04-27 US US11/911,114 patent/US20080211367A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2005-04-27 EP EP05741316A patent/EP1753326A4/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3989328A (en) * | 1975-05-02 | 1976-11-02 | Whirlpool Corporation | Refrigerator cabinet construction |
US5517826A (en) * | 1995-03-14 | 1996-05-21 | Hussmann Corporation | Refrigerated merchandiser with modular external frame structure |
EP0974726A2 (en) * | 1998-07-24 | 2000-01-26 | The Stanley Works | Method for making foam filled doors and apparatus therefor |
EP1143215A1 (en) * | 2000-04-01 | 2001-10-10 | Seven-Air Gebr. Meyer AG | Thermally insulated double wall |
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
See also references of WO2006115501A2 * |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO2006115501A3 (en) | 2007-01-11 |
EP1753326A4 (en) | 2009-06-03 |
US20080211367A1 (en) | 2008-09-04 |
CN101179964A (en) | 2008-05-14 |
WO2006115501A2 (en) | 2006-11-02 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012 |
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17P | Request for examination filed |
Effective date: 20061204 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A2 Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR |
|
AX | Request for extension of the european patent |
Extension state: AL BA HR LV MK YU |
|
RIN1 | Information on inventor provided before grant (corrected) |
Inventor name: LORZADEH, JAMIE Inventor name: DECKER, DAREN, M. |
|
DAX | Request for extension of the european patent (deleted) | ||
A4 | Supplementary search report drawn up and despatched |
Effective date: 20090506 |
|
RIC1 | Information provided on ipc code assigned before grant |
Ipc: F25D 23/06 20060101ALI20090427BHEP Ipc: A47F 3/04 20060101AFI20061117BHEP |
|
17Q | First examination report despatched |
Effective date: 20090814 |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN |
|
18D | Application deemed to be withdrawn |
Effective date: 20091229 |