EP1786295A2 - Soft coated glass pane refrigerator door construction and method of making the same - Google Patents
Soft coated glass pane refrigerator door construction and method of making the sameInfo
- Publication number
- EP1786295A2 EP1786295A2 EP05770917A EP05770917A EP1786295A2 EP 1786295 A2 EP1786295 A2 EP 1786295A2 EP 05770917 A EP05770917 A EP 05770917A EP 05770917 A EP05770917 A EP 05770917A EP 1786295 A2 EP1786295 A2 EP 1786295A2
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- door
- glass panel
- coated
- emissivity
- panel
- 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- Withdrawn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
-
- 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
- A47F3/0404—Cases or cabinets of the closed type
- A47F3/0426—Details
- A47F3/0434—Glass or transparent panels
Definitions
- the present invention relates generally to door constructions, and in particular, those used for refrigerated display cases.
- the energy required to operate refrigerated display cases can be substantial. Thus, it is generally desirable to improve the thermal performance of the display case by reducing the amount of heat transferred from the surroundings to the refrigerated enclosure.
- the display case doors provide a customer with a means of viewing the refrigerated products. Thus, it is desirable for the doors to allow as much visible light as possible to pass from inside the enclosure to the customer, while preventing the transmission of non-visible light from the surroundings to inside the enclosure.
- a door for a refrigerated display case comprises a glass panel having first and second surfaces, wherein the first surface is coated with a low emissivity soft coating.
- the first surface is coated with a low emissivity soft coating.
- the first surface is coated with a low emissivity soft coating.
- the coated surface preferably has an emissivity of not more than about 0.1.
- An emissivity of not more than about 0.05 is more preferable and an emissivity of not more than about 0.03 is especially preferred.
- a refrigerated display case having three glass panels having three glass panels. Each panel has first and second surfaces, and one of the surfaces is coated with a low-emissivity soft coating.
- the coated surface preferably has an emissivity of not more than about 0.1. An emissivity of not more than about 0.05 is more preferable and an emissivity of not more than about 0.03 is especially preferred.
- the three panels comprise first, second and third glass panels, wherein the first glass panel is located nearest the customer.
- the first surface of the second panel is coated with a low emissivity soft coating.
- -the -first and second surfaces of the second glass * panel "axe coated with a low-emissivity soft coating.
- a refrigerated display case comprises a refrigerated enclosure having an interior space and an opening.
- a door is connected to the refrigerated enclosure and is movable from a closed position to an open position.
- the door comprises a first glass panel, a second glass panel, and a third glass panel.
- the second panel comprises first and second surfaces, and the first surface is coated with a low emissivity soft coating, wherein the first surface has an emissivity of not more than about 0.1.
- An emissivity of not more than about 0.05 is more preferable and an emissivity of not more than about 0.03 is especially preferred.
- the first surface of the second panel has an uncoated perimeter portion.
- a method of assembling a display case having a refrigerated enclosure and an opening comprises providing a door comprising a glass panel that has a surface coated with a low emissivity soft coating and movably covering the opening with the door.
- a method of assembling a display case having a refrigerated enclosure and an opening comprises providing a door having three glass panels, each of which has first and second surfaces. One of the surfaces is coated with a low emissivity soft coating. The method further comprises movably covering the opening with the door.
- the second panel is located between the first and third panels and the coated surface is the first surface of the second glass panel.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a refrigerated display case used to illustrate the present invention.
- FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a portion of a refrigerator door in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 1 depicts one-half of a refrigerated display case incorporating two display case doors in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
- Display case 20 includes doors 30, mounted in surrounding frame 40 that defines an opening in display case 20.
- Doors 30 have glass panels, generally depicted as 100. Glass panels 100 are designed to allow someone, such as a supermarket customer, to view display items 60 on shelves 70. Items 60 may or may not be refrigerated items, such as frozen foods.
- doors 30 can be swung or slid open or closed to alternately seal or unseal the interior space of display case 20.
- Typical display cases include numerous other structures for attaching doors 30 to display case 20, as well as features for housing wiring, which are described in U.S. Patent No. 6,606,832, the disclosure of which is incorporated by- reference herein.
- Door 30 comprises three glass panels, depicted as 120, 140 and 160.
- Door 30 is typically mounted in a frame having a door rail that supports and surrounds a glazing channel (not shown) .
- the glazing channel may be provided to support the glass panels and protect the edges thereof.
- a tape may be applied to the door rail to protect the glass panes.
- the tape may be a foam or other polymeric tape, and may be, for example, a film supported polyolefin film tape or similar material.
- Each glass panel has two surfaces, depicted as 121, 122, 123, 124, 125 and 126.
- surface 121 faces the customer and surface 126 faces the interior space of display case 20.
- the overall thickness of the glass pack is preferably at least 1 1/4 inches, with the panels preferably being 1/8 inch thick and the spaces between the panels preferably being 7/16 inch.
- Glass panels 120, 140 and 160 are preferably designed to maximize visible light transmission from inside the case to the customer, thereby improving the ability of customers to view display items 60. However, it is also desirable to minimize the transmission of non-visible light (i.e., ultraviolet and infrared light) through glass panels 120, 140 and 160 from outside to inside the case in order to improve thermal performance. In addition, capturing the transmission of such non-visible wavelengths by the glass panels beneficially generates heat within door 30 which can drive off or prevent condensation on surfaces 121-126, further improving product visibility.
- Coolers are a type of refrigerated display case which operate at a temperature of approximately 38 0 F. Freezers are another type of refrigerated display case which operate below 0 0 F.
- the relatively colder glass panels can cause moisture in the air to condense on the surfaces of the glass panels.
- door 30 have an energy consumption that is reduced or entirely eliminated.
- Known doors for -refrigerated display cases frequently use heated door frames or glass panels to reduce condensation. While atmospheric conditions in certain geographic locations may make heated door frames or glass desirable, the present invention eliminates or reduces the energy consumed by such heated doors, while still reducing the accumulation of condensation on glass panels 120, 140 and 160.
- Prior techniques for improving thermal performance and reducing condensation (or reducing the heating needed to avoid condensation) involved the use of low emissivity hard coated glass panes. However, in order to achieve the desired performance, such hard coatings had to be applied to two of the six surfaces of glass panels 120, 140 and 160.
- the present invention results from the surprising discovery that when used in a triple panel refrigerator door construction, a single glass panel coated with a low emissivity soft coating can achieve the same performance as two panels coated with a low emissivity hard coating.
- hard coatings are those coatings that are applied during the glass manufacturing process using chemical vapor deposition techniques.
- the coating is applied when the glass pane is in its molten stage. As a result, the coating fuses to the glass, becomes part of it, and thus becomes hard.
- the present invention involves the use of soft coatings.
- soft coatings are typically applied to the glass panel after it has solidified and do not fuse to the glass.
- the term "soft coating” means a coating that is not diffused into the glass pane to which it is applied.
- the term "low emissivity” means an emissivity of less than 0.2.
- Soft coated glass panes generally have lower emissivities than hard coatings. However, they also suffer from certain drawbacks. First, because they are not fused to the glass, soft coatings are more vulnerable to physical ⁇ damage, such as " scratching,- than " axe hard coatings. Thus, soft coated glass must be handled more carefully than hard coated glass. Second, the processes used to temper glass panes are more costly and difficult to perform when soft coatings are used. Industry standards for display cases such as the one depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 require panels 120 and 160 to be tempered in order to minimize the likelihood of breakage by and injury to consumers or employees.
- soft coatings cannot undergo such tempering without degrading or becoming damaged by the tempering process. While some soft coatings can undergo tempering, soft coated panels typically must be tempered more slowly than hard coated panels, increasing processing costs. Even when such safeguards are implemented, however, soft coated panels tend to have higher scrap rates than hard coated panels.
- low emissivity soft coating 240 is preferably applied to surface 123 and/or 124 of glass panel 140, as depicted in FIG. 2. It is especially preferable to apply soft coating 240 to surface 123 only, as shown in FIG. 2. It is preferred to apply soft coating 240 to inner panel 140 because unlike panels 120 and 160, industry standards do not require panel 140 to be tempered.
- the emissivity of coated surface 123 is not more than about 0.1. However, an emissivity of not more than about 0.05 is more preferred and an emissivity of not more than about 0.03 is especially preferred.
- glass panels 120, 140 and 160 provide a visible light transmission through door 30 which is greater than about 0.6. However, a visible light transmission of greater than about 0.7 is more preferred, and a visible light transmission of greater than about 0.75 is especially preferred.
- Typical soft coatings comprise multiple layers of metal oxides, and a variety of known soft coatings can be used with the present invention, including SOLARBAN ® 60, a product of PPG
- Glass panels 120 and 140 are separated by spacing 125, and glass panels 140 and 160 are separated by spacing 135. Spacings 125 and 135 can be filled with an inert gas to better insulate door 30 and improve its thermal performance.
- spacings 125 and 135 can also be maintained by spacer assemblies 180, which are preferably positioned around the perimeter of glass panels 120, 140 and 160.
- Spacer assemblies 180 may be conventional spacers, such as the "comfort seal" manufactured by TruSeal Technologies, Inc., but warm edge spacer assemblies are preferred, as described in greater detail below.
- spacer assemblies 180 preferably use warm edge technology.
- warm edge technology refers to a spacer that has dessicant embedded, surrounded or incorporated in a polymeric-based seal material. Spacers incorporating warm edge technology may or may not incorporate metal structures, metal foils or other inorganic materials, but often do include such materials.
- Spacer assemblies 180 preferably include an interior body portion 340 formed of a dessicant matrix extending the width of the spacing between adjacent glass panes. An outer-most edge of interior body portion 340 is adjacent on each side thereof to polyisobutylene sealant beads 360 which contact each adjacent glass panel to form a seal therewith. Spacer assemblies 180 also preferably comprise a vapor barrier film 320 which may be a metal, Mylar, or other vapor- impervious film extending the width of the spacer between adjacent glass panels. The film 320 may be supported at its ends by polyisobutylene sealant bead 360, as depicted in FIG. 2.
- each bead 360 into the spacer from the adjacent glass panel is preferably between 10 and 20 percent of the width of spacings 125 and 135.
- Sealant beads 360 help to seal between metal foil 320 and adjacent surfaces of glass panels 120, 140 and 160, and contribute to reducing vapor flow between the inside and outside of the glass unit.
- Hot melt sealant 280 which is preferably hot melt butyl, surrounds beads 360, film 320 and the outwardly facing portion of interior body portion 340 to form a seal between adjacent glass panels.
- Hot melt sealant 280 preferably extends from metal foil 320 to the outer most portion of spacer assembly 180. Sealant 280 extends on both the inside and outside surfaces of metal foil 320, and width-wise from the surface of one glass panel to the surface of the adjacent glass panel to seal them.
- Sealant 280 surrounds a polymeric core 300 centered in the hot melt between the glass panels. Polymeric core 300 preferably takes up about 60-80 percent of each of the width-wise spacings 125 and 135 between adjacent panels, with the hot melt separating the core from each of the adjacent panels.
- Polymeric core 300 preferably extends from the plane of outer peripheral edges 200, 204, and 206 approximately two-thirds of the way into the hot melt.
- Polymeric core 300 is preferably formed from a relatively firm thermoplastic or thermosetting material, and may be formed from EPDM or other suitable material.
- the core can also be completely- surrounded by hot melt 280.
- Such a warm edge technology spacer can be used between each of adjacent glass panels 120, 140 and 160, or alternatively, can be used between one pair of adjacent glass panels, with a different type of spacer being used between the other pair of panels.
- coating 240 is not applied to surface 123 in the region adjacent to exposed edge 204 of glass panel 140. As shown in the figure, it is especially preferred to apply coating 240 inward of spacer assembly 180 to further reduce the likelihood of oxidation-induced degradation of the coating 240 and sealant 280.
- warm edge technology spacer is a spacer such as that shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,851,609, incorporated herein by reference, and describing what is commonly known as SWIGGLE ® spacer by TruSeal technologies.
- the spacer element forming the undulating portion preferably has a wave or peak amplitude, or spacing from the trough of one part to the peak of the adjacent portion of the undulation, greater than approximately 0.1 inch, and preferably in the range of 0.1 to 0.125 inch or more, to withstand the compressive forces that may develop in a swing door under normal operating conditions, for example, from opening and closing, racking or twisting as a result of the door size and movement during normal operating and from the application of the door frame itself about the edges of the glass unit.
- One preferred amplitude may be in the range of about 0.125-0.2 inch with a possible thickness of about 0.160 to 0.170 inch.
- the wall thickness of the metal or other material of the spacer element can be made thicker to further withstand the compressive forces in the glass unit, even though doing so would increase the cross sectional area for thermal flow from one glass panel to the adjacent glass panel, thereby tending to decrease the insulating properties of the glass unit.
- the integrity of the glass unit within the door frame would be enhanced.
- a three-pack refrigerator door i.e., a refrigerator door with three glass panels
- a single soft coated panel in accordance with the present invention will protect against condensation on the glass panels when the relative humidity of the room exceeds 55%.
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- Refrigerator Housings (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US10/897,622 US20060103269A1 (en) | 2004-07-23 | 2004-07-23 | Soft-coated glass pane refrigerator door construction and method of making same |
PCT/US2005/024874 WO2006019829A2 (en) | 2004-07-23 | 2005-07-12 | Soft coated glass pane refrigerator door construction and method of making the same |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1786295A2 true EP1786295A2 (en) | 2007-05-23 |
EP1786295A4 EP1786295A4 (en) | 2008-07-30 |
Family
ID=35907883
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP05770917A Withdrawn EP1786295A4 (en) | 2004-07-23 | 2005-07-12 | Soft coated glass pane refrigerator door construction and method of making the same |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20060103269A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1786295A4 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2006019829A2 (en) |
Families Citing this family (24)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US9289079B2 (en) * | 2009-11-05 | 2016-03-22 | Hussmann Corporation | Door for a refrigerated merchandiser |
US9157675B2 (en) | 2010-06-09 | 2015-10-13 | Hill Phoenix, Inc. | Insulated case construction |
US8393130B2 (en) | 2010-06-09 | 2013-03-12 | Hill Phoenix, Inc. | Door module for a refrigerated case |
US8845045B2 (en) | 2010-06-09 | 2014-09-30 | Hill Phoenix, Inc. | Door closing control and electrical connectivity system for refrigerated case |
US8776439B2 (en) | 2010-06-09 | 2014-07-15 | Hill Phoenix, Inc. | Modular door system for refrigerated case |
US8683745B2 (en) * | 2011-05-10 | 2014-04-01 | Anthony, Inc. | Refrigerated display case door with transparent LCD panel |
US9052536B2 (en) | 2011-05-10 | 2015-06-09 | Anthony, Inc. | Display case door with transparent LCD panel |
US20130019616A1 (en) * | 2011-07-20 | 2013-01-24 | Hussmann Corporation | Heat absorbing door for a refrigerated merchandiser |
US8695362B2 (en) | 2012-01-19 | 2014-04-15 | Hussmann Corporation | Refrigerated merchandiser with door having boundary layer |
TWI667130B (en) | 2014-06-26 | 2019-08-01 | 美商康寧公司 | Insulated glass unit |
US9841224B2 (en) * | 2016-01-18 | 2017-12-12 | Haier Us Appliance Solutions, Inc. | Refrigerator appliances with passive storage compartments |
DE202016103026U1 (en) | 2016-06-07 | 2016-07-22 | Boje Martens | Illuminated glass pane |
DE102016110505A1 (en) | 2016-06-07 | 2017-12-07 | Boje Martens | Illuminated glass and process for its manufacture |
US9687087B1 (en) | 2016-06-16 | 2017-06-27 | Anthony, Inc. | Display case door assembly with vacuum panel and lighting features |
US10769666B2 (en) | 2017-08-10 | 2020-09-08 | Cooler Screens Inc. | Intelligent marketing and advertising platform |
US11768030B2 (en) | 2017-08-10 | 2023-09-26 | Cooler Screens Inc. | Smart movable closure system for cooling cabinet |
US10672032B2 (en) | 2017-08-10 | 2020-06-02 | Cooler Screens Inc. | Intelligent marketing and advertising platform |
US11698219B2 (en) | 2017-08-10 | 2023-07-11 | Cooler Screens Inc. | Smart movable closure system for cooling cabinet |
US11763252B2 (en) | 2017-08-10 | 2023-09-19 | Cooler Screens Inc. | Intelligent marketing and advertising platform |
CN115177123B (en) * | 2018-01-17 | 2024-06-07 | 安东尼股份有限公司 | Door for mounting movable electronic display |
CN109186170B (en) * | 2018-09-18 | 2023-12-15 | 长虹美菱股份有限公司 | Flexible touch door shell for refrigerator and production process thereof |
US10514722B1 (en) | 2019-03-29 | 2019-12-24 | Anthony, Inc. | Door for mounting a removable electronic display |
US11116333B2 (en) | 2019-05-07 | 2021-09-14 | Carrier Corporation | Refrigerated display cabinet including microchannel heat exchangers |
US11559147B2 (en) | 2019-05-07 | 2023-01-24 | Carrier Corporation | Refrigerated display cabinet utilizing a radial cross flow fan |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2003008877A2 (en) * | 2001-07-19 | 2003-01-30 | Afg Industries, Inc. | Energy-free refrigeration door and method for making the same |
EP1293726A2 (en) * | 2001-09-14 | 2003-03-19 | Pleotint, L.L.C. | Heat barrier window utilising a combination of coatings |
US20030066825A1 (en) * | 2001-08-23 | 2003-04-10 | Kurt Leutner | Electric stove to cook food |
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US1867074A (en) * | 1929-09-23 | 1932-07-12 | C V Hill & Co Inc | Refrigerator display case door |
US4382177A (en) * | 1980-09-15 | 1983-05-03 | Heaney James J | Substantially transparent insulating anti-condensation structure |
US4753043A (en) * | 1986-12-11 | 1988-06-28 | Ardco Inc. | Pivotally mounted insulated glass door assembly with self-contained structural support frame |
US5329736A (en) * | 1989-06-30 | 1994-07-19 | Termofrost Ab | Door construction for vertical refrigerator and freezer spaces |
US4977754A (en) * | 1990-05-01 | 1990-12-18 | Specialty Equipment Companies, Inc. | Next-to-be-purchased cold beverage merchandiser |
FR2728559B1 (en) * | 1994-12-23 | 1997-01-31 | Saint Gobain Vitrage | GLASS SUBSTRATES COATED WITH A STACK OF THIN LAYERS WITH INFRARED REFLECTION PROPERTIES AND / OR IN THE FIELD OF SOLAR RADIATION |
US6006832A (en) * | 1995-02-09 | 1999-12-28 | Baker Hughes Incorporated | Method and system for monitoring and controlling production and injection wells having permanent downhole formation evaluation sensors |
US5851609A (en) * | 1996-02-27 | 1998-12-22 | Truseal Technologies, Inc. | Preformed flexible laminate |
US6367223B1 (en) * | 2000-06-09 | 2002-04-09 | Anthony, Inc. | Display case frame |
-
2004
- 2004-07-23 US US10/897,622 patent/US20060103269A1/en not_active Abandoned
-
2005
- 2005-07-12 EP EP05770917A patent/EP1786295A4/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2005-07-12 WO PCT/US2005/024874 patent/WO2006019829A2/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2003008877A2 (en) * | 2001-07-19 | 2003-01-30 | Afg Industries, Inc. | Energy-free refrigeration door and method for making the same |
US20030066825A1 (en) * | 2001-08-23 | 2003-04-10 | Kurt Leutner | Electric stove to cook food |
EP1293726A2 (en) * | 2001-09-14 | 2003-03-19 | Pleotint, L.L.C. | Heat barrier window utilising a combination of coatings |
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
See also references of WO2006019829A2 * |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO2006019829A3 (en) | 2006-10-05 |
US20060103269A1 (en) | 2006-05-18 |
EP1786295A4 (en) | 2008-07-30 |
WO2006019829A2 (en) | 2006-02-23 |
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