EP2882537A1 - Installation pour rafraichir des articles exposes a la vente par un brouillard de gouttelettes d'eau - Google Patents
Installation pour rafraichir des articles exposes a la vente par un brouillard de gouttelettes d'eauInfo
- Publication number
- EP2882537A1 EP2882537A1 EP13758937.0A EP13758937A EP2882537A1 EP 2882537 A1 EP2882537 A1 EP 2882537A1 EP 13758937 A EP13758937 A EP 13758937A EP 2882537 A1 EP2882537 A1 EP 2882537A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- products
- fog
- diffusers
- zone
- diffuser
- 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.)
- Ceased
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
- A47F3/001—Devices for lighting, humidifying, heating, ventilation
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- 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
- A47F3/0495—Spraying, trickling or humidifying means
-
- 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
- A47F7/00—Show stands, hangers, or shelves, adapted for particular articles or materials
- A47F7/0071—Show stands, hangers, or shelves, adapted for particular articles or materials for perishable goods
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
- B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
- B05B14/00—Arrangements for collecting, re-using or eliminating excess spraying material
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
- B05B—SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES
- B05B1/00—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means
- B05B1/14—Nozzles, spray heads or other outlets, with or without auxiliary devices such as valves, heating means with multiple outlet openings; with strainers in or outside the outlet opening
Definitions
- the invention relates to installations for diffusing a mist of water droplets on products, in particular on food products on display, for the purpose of moistening or cooling them.
- document FR 2 921 551 discloses displays of exposure of food products used in sales outlets and comprising diffusers that project a mist of water droplets over the receiving display area. products.
- Such an installation preserves the freshness of the products, improves their appearance on the display and promotes their sale.
- the fog flow is sensitive to drafts, so that it is necessary to increase the fog flow and / or its speed to obtain the fog. expected effect which increases the consumption of water and energy.
- the fog, or at least part of it may fall out of the furniture rather than on the products, which may be, for example, fruits or vegetables. This is undesirable, for several reasons: it decreases the cooling efficiency of the installation, the fog thus spilled can be sucked by refrigerated appliances located near the installation, and this can be perceived by customers point of sale as unsightly or threatening.
- An object of the invention is to improve the facilities for diffusing a mist of droplets. Another object of the invention is to better confine the fog on the products on display. Another object of the invention is to improve the cooling of the products. Yet another object of the invention is to reduce the energy and water consumption of such a fog diffusion installation of water droplets.
- an installation such as a piece of furniture, for the presentation of products (in particular products of plant or animal origin and / or sensitive to desiccation) for sale, comprising at least one product receiving zone.
- a fog droplet generator and at least one droplet mist diffuser capable of spreading fog above said product receiving area for cooling, moistening and / or cooling said products
- said apparatus being characterized in that it further comprises at least one suction means and at least a suction orifice arranged in the surface of said product receiving zone, or close to said surface, said suction means being able to suck up at least a part of the fog spread over said product receiving zone; through said at least one suction port.
- Said product receiving zone may be mounted on a box with which said suction orifices arranged in the surface of said product receiving zone, or in the vicinity of said surface, are exposed and which can be pressurized by said suction means, so that during operation of the installation, said mist is sucked into said box by said suction means through said suction ports.
- Said box may include a product storage area, and preferably at least one sliding drawer suitable for receiving products.
- Said box may also comprise a stirring fan.
- the fog droplet generator generally comprises a piezoelectric element operating at an ultrasound frequency, and may comprise either an ultrasound concentrating nozzle or a microperforated membrane.
- the installation comprises droplet diffusers capable of directing the fog towards said zone, said diffusers being preferably disposed at the periphery of said product receiving zone. It may, alternatively or in addition, include droplet diffusers able to direct the fog in the opposite direction to the zone.
- it may comprise at least one first diffuser capable of directing the fog towards the product receiving zone, and at least one second diffuser capable of directing the fog in the direction opposite to the zone, arranged in such a way that said zone extends between said first and said second diffusers.
- the second diffuser extends to a height less than that of the first diffuser.
- the installation may comprise at least one diffuser, or a group of diffusers located on a strip of the installation.
- the installation according to the invention comprises a plurality of diffusers arranged in staggered rows. These staggered diffusers can represent all the diffusers of the installation, or only one or several groups of diffusers of the installation.
- Another subject of the invention is a method for cooling, moistening and / or cooling products of plant or animal origin presented for sale and placed on the surface of a reception zone of an installation according to the invention, comprising: diffusing a mist of droplets over the products, and aspirating said mist from droplets through at least one suction port provided in or near said surface.
- an installation such as a piece of furniture, which comprises at least one product receiving zone (also called a display area or product presentation area), at least one mistletoe mist diffuser. capable of spreading mist of droplets above the product receiving zone, and aspiration of mist of droplets through slots or orifices located in or near the product receiving zone.
- at least a portion of said slots or said orifices is at the periphery of the product receiving zone and / or on the bottom of said receiving zone.
- mist of droplets also called nebulization
- the nebulization covers and envelopes the products and can also spread between the unit products, and is sucked to the sides of the display area and / or through the bottom of the receiving area into a space below the product receiving area.
- Said space can be a box.
- Suction can be achieved by any suitable means, for example by at least one fan which is typically disposed below the product receiving area.
- the nebulization is sucked into a box located in the bottom of said installation, that is to say below the product receiving zone, said box comprising a suction means capable of put it under pressure, for example at least one fan.
- the space below the product receiving area which may be a box, is arranged as a product storage space.
- the aspiration of the mist of droplets distributed by the at least one diffuser through said slots and / or orifices in the box not only makes it possible to better moisten, cool and cool the products that are on the product receiving zone, but also it allows to humidify, refresh and cool a stock of products not exposed to sale that is in said product storage space.
- This product storage space can be used as intermediate storage: the point-of-sale staff can supply the area of receipt of products with fresh products when needed by removing them from the product storage space, without having to move through the storage area. a storage area far from the point of sale.
- the storage space may comprise one or more fog diffusers and / or at least one air-blowing fan which ensures a good distribution of the fog within this storage space.
- the mist sucked into the space below the at least one receiving zone, this space being a box is then ejected out of this space after cooling the stand and the box.
- this flow of cold fluid can be reinjected directly into the inlet of the fan which feeds the droplet generator so that the latter, by sucking colder and more humid air, has a better energy efficiency and a consumption in decreased water.
- the air sucked by the droplet generator is taken at least partly in the atmosphere of the box, knowing that the air of the box comes in part from the mist sucked in the vicinity of the product receiving area .
- the mist of droplets comprises a majority of fine droplets, that is to say with an average size of less than 10 ⁇ , preferably between 0.5 ⁇ and 10 ⁇ , and even more preferentially between 0.5 ⁇ and 5 ⁇ . More precisely, according to the invention, it is preferred that approximately 95% of the droplets have a diameter of between 1 ⁇ and 5 ⁇ , preferably between 1 ⁇ and 4 ⁇ , and even more preferentially between 2 ⁇ and 3 ⁇ .
- a fog composed of such fine droplets forms a layer of fog that floats above the reception area and products exposed for sale. In the absence of external drafts it lowers slowly and spreads in width: thus it envelops the products exposed to the sale, which is desirable, but it can overflow furniture, which is not desirable.
- Such a mist of fine droplets may be generated by a droplet generator, for example of the type comprising one or more piezoelectric ultrasonic transmitters equipped for example with an acoustic concentration nozzle for the production of the mist formed by the droplets. water in suspension in a stream of air.
- a droplet generator for example of the type comprising one or more piezoelectric ultrasonic transmitters equipped for example with an acoustic concentration nozzle for the production of the mist formed by the droplets. water in suspension in a stream of air.
- Such generators are known as such, for example documents FR 2 788 706, EP 0 782 885 or EP 0 782 885.
- the frequency of the piezoelectric transmitter is advantageously between 1 MHz and 3 MHz, and preferably between 1 MHz and 3 MHz. MHz and 2.5 MHz.
- a frequency generated by the piezoelectric element between 40 kHz and 200 kHz is suitable.
- the mesh of the microperforated membrane is advantageously between 2 ⁇ and 40 ⁇ .
- the increase in the frequency leads to the decrease of the size of the droplets, but also to the increase of the energy consumption of the generator.
- the droplet generator may be disposed below the product receiving zone, inside or outside the box.
- the mist of droplets is conveyed by at least one duct of the generator to the at least one mist diffuser, and spread over the at least one product receiving zone.
- the product receiving zone has a surface on which the products are typically placed; this surface may be flat, and in this case it may be horizontal or inclined, or it may be curved or have curved segments, or it may be of any other suitable form.
- This surface can be made of any suitable material, including any easy to clean material (eg metal (preferably stainless steel) or plastic).
- the product receiving zone may be delimited by strips and / or walls, which may be of any suitable shape and for example vertical, inclined, curved.
- the product receiving area can be subdivided by fixed or removable walls to allow the separation of products of different kinds.
- An installation according to the invention may have a plurality of product receiving areas, which may be for example arranged in a staircase, or totally or partially superimposed, or side by side.
- the receiving zone comprises orifices or slots through which the fog can be sucked into the box located below.
- These orifices or slots may have any useful shape. They may be arranged for example in the surface of the receiving zone and / or in the strip which laterally limits the product receiving zone and / or at the periphery of the surface of the product receiving zone.
- the surface of the receiving area may include grids through which the mist is sucked.
- Said at least one diffuser capable of spreading a mist of water droplets over the product receiving zone may have different shapes. Their number may vary; most often, a plurality of diffusers are used, which may be of identical or different shape and function.
- the installation such as a piece of furniture, to comprise at least one product receiving zone and diffusers of a mist of droplets above the zone, the diffusers comprising: at least one first diffuser capable of directing the fog towards the zone, and
- At least one second diffuser capable of directing the fog in the opposite direction to the zone, the latter extending between the first and second diffusers.
- the first and the second diffuser, or the first and second diffusers form antagonistic diffusers.
- these antagonistic diffusers are arranged in staggered rows.
- the function of the first diffuser is to cool the products with fog.
- the function of the second broadcaster is in particular to improve the efficiency of the broadcast performed by the first broadcaster.
- the flow of the second diffuser makes the flow of the first less sensitive to drafts and promotes its confinement on the furniture in the product area.
- the second diffuser acts as an air curtain protecting the fog of the first diffuser against movements and drafts of ambient air. This gives a more homogeneous fog diffusion on the products.
- the fog jet of the second diffuser is also used to refresh the products in addition to its protection function with respect to the first broadcasters explained above. Since in this embodiment the efficiency of the diffusion is improved, the efficiency of the installation is improved and its energy and water consumption are reduced, the amount of fog used per square meter being lower than in the known installations.
- the second diffuser with its fog spray also makes the entire display and products on sale even more attractive to the public.
- the second diffuser is able to direct the fog upwards, especially with an inclination of 45 ° relative to the vertical direction.
- This characteristic is used in particular when the product receiving zone is horizontal or slightly inclined with respect to the horizontal plane.
- the second diffuser extends to a height less than that of the first diffuser.
- the fog of the second diffuser then protects even better that of the first. It provides protection over a greater fraction of the height that travels in the opposite direction the fog of the first diffuser from its exit of the diffuser to the area.
- the first diffuser is located at a distance from the periphery of the installation.
- the second diffuser is located on the periphery of the installation.
- the second diffuser protects the fog of the first particularly effective because its fog is emitted at the boundary of the installation with the ambient environment.
- the second diffuser is located on a strip of the installation.
- the second diffuser is integrated in the installation in a discrete and space-saving manner.
- the installation has a plurality of product receiving zones, for example two, it is advantageous for at least one of the diffusers to be able to diffuse the fog on the two zones, each zone extending between this diffuser and another of the broadcasters.
- the installation may comprise at least two first diffusers defining a first straight line and at least two second diffusers defining a second straight line parallel to the first straight line.
- the fog jets of the second diffusers cooperate to form a web from jointly protecting the fog jets of the first diffusers.
- the installation comprises a plurality of second diffusers that form an assembly surrounding the first or the first diffusers.
- the second diffusers cooperate to protect the fog emitted by the first diffuser or diffusers.
- the first diffuser has at least one elongate nebulization orifice in the vertical direction. Such an orifice makes it possible to produce a fog jet having a good angular distribution in vertical and horizontal planes.
- the second diffuser has at least one circular nebulization orifice.
- the first diffuser is mounted on a mast.
- the second diffuser can however also mounted on a mast.
- first and second diffusers are orientable and / or closable in whole or in part.
- Also provided according to the invention is a method for diffusing a fog of droplets over products, wherein at least one first diffuser diffuses the fog towards the products and at least one second diffuser diffuses the fog by directing it in the opposite direction products, products extending between the first and second broadcasters.
- the first diffuser or all of the first diffusers has a fog flow rate greater than that of the second diffuser or the set of second diffusers.
- the second diffuser produces a jet of fog having a greater speed than that of the jet produced by the first diffuser.
- the installation according to the invention can be used for any product that must be presented to a buyer, and which must be apprehended by the buyer, and which requires humidification, cooling and / or cooling or which benefits from such treatment, and especially for products sensitive to drying, these products may in particular be of animal or vegetable origin.
- This may be for example food products: fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, cheese, salads, or non-food products such as plants and cut flowers.
- Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of two variants of a piece of furniture according to the invention used to present and refresh items exposed for sale;
- Figures 3, 4 and 5 are plan views respectively of the side, top and front side of the same furniture,
- Figure 5 is a view of the section A-A shown in Figure 4;
- Figure 6 is a schematic view of section C-C shown in Figure 5;
- Figure 7 is an enlarged view of an area of Figure 5 marked with a circle and the letter A;
- FIGS 8 and 9 illustrate perspective views of another piece of furniture according to the invention used to present and refresh items exposed for sale
- FIG 10 is a plan view of the furniture of Figures 8 and 9, without the products;
- FIGS. 1 to 14 illustrate fog diffusers that can be used to carry out an installation according to the invention;
- Figure 15 is a sectional view of a cabinet similar to that of Figure 8 which illustrates the operation of the fog diffusers;
- Figure 16 is a perspective view of the receiving area with its fog diffusers of another installation according to the invention.
- FIGS. 1 to 7 show a food product display unit 1 according to the invention.
- This is a piece of furniture forming in this case a table comprising a product receiving zone 2 having a surface 3 having curved segments 4.
- the zone 2 for receiving the products is delimited by a strip 12.
- Below the product reception zone 2 is the box 5, comprising two front walls 6, 7, two side walls 8, 9 and a floor 10.
- Figure 1 shows an embodiment in which one of the front walls 7, made here in the form of two leaves 7a, 7b, can be opened to access a product storage space located in the box 5.
- a drawer sliding 11 facilitates access to this storage space.
- the suction openings 15 are arranged between the lateral strip 16 and the surface 3 of the curved segments 4.
- Figure 2 shows a variant of the embodiment of Figure 1, wherein the sliding drawer 11 is not at the bottom of the box 5 but rather in the middle; this allows to position electrical components (including the droplet generator, not shown in the figure) below the drawer 11; this is illustrated in FIG. 6.
- the drawer 11 (or at least its upper part) and the receiving zone 2 of Products can be planned to be interchangeable. This allows a point of sale employee to replace the empty receiving zone 2 by the tray 11 packed with refreshed products and put it in place of the empty drawer to optionally have products to refresh on its surface.
- Figure 2 also shows the position of the nozzles 18 fog diffusion.
- FIG. 3 shows in greater detail the surface of the product receiving zone 2 composed of a plurality of curved segments 4. This figure does not show the lateral strip in order to reveal the suction openings 15.
- the installation 1 comprises six mist diffusion nozzles 18 arranged in staggered rows. These nozzles blow fog on the food stall, as indicated by the thick arrows.
- FIG. 5 shows an exemplary embodiment with two fans 13 arranged in a front wall 6 of the box 5.
- the droplet generator 14 is here in the box 5.
- two nebulizing nozzles 19 are located in the box storage of the box.
- FIG. 6 shows the positioning of the fan 13 and the droplet generator 14 for the variant of FIG. 2 with the drawer 11 at the half-height of the box 5.
- the fog diffused by the nebulization nozzles 18 is sucked from the reception zone of products 2 through the suction openings 15 inside the box 5, spreads over the products arranged on the surface of the slide 11, then is pushed outside the box 5 through the fan 13.
- FIG. 7 shows a sectional view of a nozzle or fog diffuser 18 disposed on the periphery of the reception zone, with their supply duct 20 which is connected to the droplet generator (not shown in this figure of FIG. detail) ; the thick arrow indicates the exit direction 17 of the fog. We also see the suction opening 15; the thick arrows indicate the suction direction of the fog in the box 5.
- FIGS. 8 to 15 show another installation 70 according to the invention.
- This is a piece of furniture forming in this case a table.
- this piece of furniture is used in a place of sale for the presentation of plant food products.
- the products here are vegetables 71.
- the piece of furniture 72 which forms here a display, comprises in the lower part a frame 73 forming a foot of the piece of furniture and in the upper part a case 74 resting on the frame 73 and which here has a rectangular shape in plan .
- the piece of furniture has in this case a median vertical plane of symmetry P, shown in FIG. 10.
- the display 74 represents the product receiving zone and comprises a bottom wall 75 forming the surface of the product receiving zone, which is in this case non-planar shape but, in its lower part, essentially horizontal.
- the bottom wall 75 here has a corrugated shape so that its profile passes through a maximum height at the plane P, the end edges 76 of the wall 75 being at a height less than that of its center line. It can be seen in FIG. 10 that the opposing diffusers (ie the first diffusers 77 and the second diffusers 18) are arranged in staggered rows.
- the display stand is suitable for receiving products such as vegetables 71. It is open at the top so that the products can be observed or apprehended by the public passing around the display stand.
- the cabinet 72 comprises means for the diffusion of a fog of droplets of nebulized water, above the products and up to them in order to preserve the freshness.
- the furniture 72 comprises first diffusers 77 and second diffusers 18.
- the first broadcasters 77 are in this case two in number. They each extend in the middle part of the display, at a distance from its periphery, and intercept the plane P.
- the first two diffusers 77 are identical to each other. As illustrated in Figure 1 1, they each comprise a cylindrical straight vertical mast 78 with circular cross section. They also include a head 79 extending to the upper end of the mast. The head is completely closed with the exception of nebulizing orifices 80 which in this case have an elongated shape in the vertical direction to give them a slot shape.
- the orifices are identical to each other and located at the same height, being distributed regularly or irregularly around the vertical axis of symmetry of the diffuser.
- the nebulizing orifices 80 are therefore oriented downwards and towards the display 74 and the products 71.
- the nebulizing orifices 80 extend for example between 0.2 and 1 meter, preferably 0.5 meter, above the display and above the uppermost portion of the bottom wall 75. the present example, the first two diffusers 77 are separated from each other by a distance of one meter and each extend 0.5 meters from the edge of the display.
- the orifices 80 are located at height about 0.3 m from the top of the products to be moistened, ie about 0.5 m from the bottom of the display, but this depends on the actual height of the products. It is advantageous in this respect that the first diffusers 77 are adjustable in height.
- the second diffusers 18 are here six in number and located on the horizontal flat upper face 85 of the strip 82 which forms the periphery of the display unit, surrounding on all sides the bottom wall 75.
- the second diffusers project from this end. face 85 up.
- Three of the diffusers 18 extend on one of the end strips located on the left in FIG. 10 and the other three extend on the other end strip located on the right in the same figure.
- the second diffusers are evenly spaced from each other and extend at a distance from the two ends of the strip.
- the three second diffusers 18 on the left are aligned with each other, as are the three second diffusers 18 on the right.
- Each of the corresponding lines is parallel to the line defined by the first diffusers 77. And these are between the two lines formed by the second diffusers.
- the second diffusers 18 form an assembly that surrounds all the first diffusers 77.
- the second diffusers 18 are illustrated in particular in Figures 12 and 13 and are identical to each other. They each comprise a hemispherical shaped head forming the upper part of the diffuser which extends downward from its equator by a cylindrical wall to reach the face 85. The wall of the head is therefore entirely upward.
- Each second diffuser 18 has a nebulization orifice 83, here unique, of circular shape and formed in the hemispherical upper wall of the diffuser so that the axis of the nebulization orifice is oriented upwards and more precisely in the species with an inclination of 45 ° with respect to the vertical direction. In addition, the orifice is oriented towards the plane P.
- the nebulizing orifices 83 of the second diffusers 18 therefore extend lower than those 80 of the first diffusers 77. They extend closer to the wall 75 and the products than the first diffusers.
- the second adjacent diffusers are spaced 0.666 meters apart and the diffusers located at the end of the row are spaced from the end nearest the headband of 0.335 meters.
- the nebulization orifices 83 have for example a diameter of 8 mm.
- each second diffuser 18 emerges from the strip 82.
- the diffuser this time has two circular nebulization orifices 83, identical to each other. other and extending at the same height being both oriented towards the plane P.
- the diffuser this time comprises a single orifice.
- the fog generator, its power supply box and the fan are not shown for the embodiment according to FIGS. 8 to 14.
- the aspiration is done through suction orifices 87 (which are visible on the FIGS. 9, 10 and 15) in the box located in the frame 73.
- the frame 73 or caisson can be arranged as a product storage area, accessible by one or more doors and / or possibly provided with one or more sliding trays 11 (shown in FIG. Figure 15).
- Figure 15 illustrates more particularly the principle of antagonist diffusion of fog by the first 77 and second 18 diffusers.
- the direction 94 of the fog 95 from the second diffusers 18 is directed towards the center of the zone 2 for receiving the products, while the direction 92 of the fog 93 from the first diffusers 77 is directed towards the periphery.
- the fog that tends to overflow from the lower zone of the surface 3 of the receiving zone 2 is sucked by the suction orifices 87 arranged here parallel to the lateral bands 82.
- the installation comprises at least one droplet generator 14, supplied with water by a suitable means, and a control system. conduits (not shown in the figures) by means of which the fog produced by the generator or generators is transmitted to the diffusers 18, 77.
- the fog supply of the second diffusers 18 is typically provided by ducts hidden in the strips 82 and themselves connected to the fog generator, and supplied with power by a power supply box (not shown in the figures).
- each diffuser it is advantageous to connect to a siphon, which is accessed by removing the diffuser, to allow the cleaning of the siphon and also to extract from the siphon objects that would have been introduced into the openings of the diffusers by members of the public.
- the installation according to the invention is controlled by means of a control box 96 (shown only in FIG. 15) making it possible to control and regulate its operation.
- the housing includes means for adjusting the three main operating parameters which are the amount (density) of fog generated, the speed of the blower fog blower, the speed of the suction fan; if necessary it can be used to set other parameters such as operating cycles or safety thresholds.
- FIG. 15 shows the operation of the first and second diffusers for a table similar to that of FIG. 9: all the diffusers simultaneously diffuse mist jets by their nebulization orifices, above the wall 75 and the products 71.
- first diffusers 77 diffuse jets of fog through their respective orifices 80.
- the fog is produced all around the diffuser being directed from the outlet of the orifice 80 down towards the wall 75 and the products 71 when present.
- the fog jet coming out of each orifice has for example an inclination of approximately 30 ° with respect to the vertical direction.
- the diffusers 77 thus extend between the two zones 84b and 84a and each feed the two areas simultaneously in fog.
- the fog jet is oriented upwards and inclined at 45 ° with respect to the vertical direction.
- the jets produced by the three diffusers of each strip cooperate to form a sheet of parallel jets.
- the fog thus diffused first rises above the wall 75 and above the jets of mists produced by the first diffusers that it covers at least in part.
- the fog of the second diffusers falls towards areas 84b and 84a to reach the products too.
- the jets of the first diffusers come directly to refresh the products while the jets of the second diffusers rise first in the air before falling back on the products. Above all, they come to protect the fog emitted by the first diffusers with respect to movements and currents of ambient air to confine it and to improve the homogeneity of the cooling of the products.
- the suction orifices 15, 87 (visible in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 7, 10, 10 and 15) suck at least part of the mist; this avoids its overflow over the end edges 76, to confine the fog layer and to improve the coating of the products by the fog.
- the suction orifices 87 are located mainly in the lower part of the wall 75, if the latter is inclined, as is the case in FIG.
- FIGS. 16 and 17 show an alternative embodiment of furniture 72 according to the invention.
- the piece of furniture has an elongated shape; it may comprise a rounded gondola head (see Figure 16) on at least one of its ends.
- the cabinet comprises first diffusers 77, arranged in the plane P and two groups of second diffusers 18 arranged on the strips 82 of respective ends (not shown in Figure 16, but visible in Figure 1).
- the frame 73 can be arranged under the form of a storage space, accessible by a door (not shown in the figures). FIG.
- FIG. 1 shows, as a variant, a particular embodiment of one of the first diffusers 77 which is integrated in a mast 88 of a bracket 89.
- the diffuser itself is made in the middle part of the mast with nebulization orifices. 80 in the form of a slot as before.
- the bracket 89 comprises at the top a horizontal section 91 which can be used to hook various elements such as labels.
- the diffusers 18, 77, and even said second diffusers 18, may have a height that varies according to the geometry of the installation and the zone 2 for receiving products.
- the second diffusers can be arranged directly on the strip 12, as in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 7, 8 to 15 and 17, but they could also be arranged at a greater height, with a mast 78 as in Figure 1 1.
- the invention makes it possible to integrate aesthetically and relatively discreetly the function of nebulization within a piece of furniture such as a display stand. It can be provided that at least some of the first and / or second diffusers are provided with a partial or total closure member.
- the second diffuser shown in Figures 12 and 13 which comprises an internal shutter can be operated from outside the diffuser by means of a button 86 movable in a groove in the wall of the diffuser.
- the cover and the button are movable in one piece to rotate relative to the outer wall of the diffuser about a vertical axis, to allow to open or close the diffuser at will.
- the first or the second diffuser comprises several orifices and such a shutter, at least one of the orifices may be closed while leaving at least one other open.
- Such a piece of furniture makes it possible, for example, to spread fog over an area of about 5 square meters, for example by providing a total flow of nebulized water of 0.5 kg / m 2 / hour.
- the installation according to the invention improves the efficiency of the fog without the need to increase its density or its speed: the fog envelops the products better and is better used.
- each diffuser can be controlled in common the flow of the first diffuser 77 located in the upper part and the three diffusers 18 to the left. These four diffusers mainly feed an indicated diffusion surface S1 in FIG. 9.
- the flow of the other diffusers can be controlled in common, namely the first diffuser 77 situated in the lower part and the three second diffusers 18 located on the right which mainly feed the surface S2.
- Surfaces S1 and S2 are identical and have nested "L" shapes. The operator in charge of nebulization can therefore control the choice of nebulizing power on the surface S1, the nebulizing power on the surface S2, the operating cycle for these two zones, or the ventilation speed.
- the diffusers 77 comprise a mast allowing the position of the head to be adjusted in height relative to the surface 75. It can be expected that at least some of the diffusers are integrated in horizontal tubes.
- the orifices of the first diffusers may have a shape other than an elongate shape in the vertical direction, for example a circular shape.
- the orifices of the second diffusers may have a shape other than a circular shape, for example an elongate shape in the vertical direction. If the head of one of the diffusers is mobile and motorized, it can be provided that it has a single orifice in one direction, or several orifices of different dimensions and oriented in different directions to optimize the distribution of fog .
- the furniture comprises a single first diffuser and / or a single second diffuser.
- the number of first diffusers may be greater than 2.
- the number of second diffusers may be equal to 2 or greater than 3. It can be provided that the or each second diffuser has a height equal to or greater than that of the or each first diffuser.
- the or each first diffuser extends around the periphery of the display unit, the or each second diffuser extending for example at a distance from this periphery so that the piece of furniture has an inverted configuration compared to that of FIG. It can be expected that all the diffusers extend at the periphery of the display.
- the second diffuser may be located outside the banner of the display, and for example near the latter when it is present.
- the wall 75 is generally inclined relative to the vertical direction, for example by being flat. In such a case, at least some of the second diffusers are not oriented upwards but rather horizontally, or even downwards, while remaining oriented in the direction opposite to the zone supporting the products.
- the furniture it is possible, and this is preferred, to configure the furniture so that, on the whole of the furniture, the first diffusers provide a fog flow higher than the second diffusers.
- the first diffusers provide a fog flow higher than the second diffusers.
- the fog jet it is also preferable for the fog jet to emerge from the second diffusers with a greater speed than the jet of the first diffusers in order to adequately ensure the confinement of the fog emitted by the first diffusers.
- the droplet generator 14 is located outside the box 5, for example below the box, and not inside the box. This further improves the operation of the box, because the droplet generator 14 also generates heat that heats the air of the box 5.
- the droplet generator 14 may be disposed upstream or downstream of the fan 13.
- a portion of the mist sucked into the box 5 is sucked by the droplet generator 14 which must be supplied with air to generate a mist of water droplets.
- each of the diffusers is mounted so as to be movable relative to the furniture to choose the direction of diffusion of the fog.
- It can also provide motorization means for changing the orientation of the diffuser during the fog diffusion and without the intervention of an operator on the diffuser.
- the floor 10 of the box 5 is slightly inclined to allow a flow of condensation water may form to a tank or a discharge, knowing that in optimal operation, there will be no condensation or on products on display or on products in box 5. or on the inside walls of box 5.
- the walls 6,7,8,9 of the box 5 and its floor 10 are provided with a thermal insulation.
- the installation 1 may include one or more drawers 11.
- the latter may have perforated funds (for example grids) so that the fog passes through them and accesses the lower floor.
- an optional stirring fan 60 visible in FIGS. 5 and 6, which is arranged below the reception zone 2 in FIGS. the caisson 5; it can advantageously be arranged at approximately 45 ° with respect to the horizontal. It mixes the air contained in the box 5 to ensure a good distribution of the fog that enters the storage area of the box 5; this improves the contact of the fog with the products arranged in the said product storage zone located in the box 5. Said stirring fan 60 also contributes to force the evaporation of the fog, which refreshes the box 5.
- the surface 3 of the product receiving zone 2 may be formed by the bottom of crates or standardized baskets (made of wood, plastic or metal) which are 'insert on a frame arranged above the box; suction is in this case through the grids, openings, slots or holes of said crates or baskets.
- the suction orifices have a distribution and / or dimensions such that different suction zones are created on the surface 3 of the zone 2 for receiving products.
- the installation 1 may also have several product receiving zones 2 which are distinguished by their height, inclination, shape, nebulization and / or suction characteristics.
- the product storage space in the box is optional; for example, the installation 1 can also be performed with a box of very low height or even without box, so as to be placed on a table.
- a filter can be provided for purifying the mist that has been sucked up, this filter being able to be disposed upstream or downstream of the fan 13 through which the fog can leave the box, and / or before it enters the droplet generator.
- an installation 1 is capable of cooling fruit in a typical shop environment of at least 5 ° C, and preferably from minus 6 ° C relative to a store air temperature of between 23 ° C and 25 ° C at a relative humidity between 35% and 60%.
- the process according to the invention makes it possible to obtain a temperature below 20 ° C., preferably below 19 ° C. and even more preferably below 18 ° C. (the dew point being about 17.2 ° C), knowing that these temperature measurements are made on products at a height of about 10 cm above the surface of the product receiving zone 2.
- the installation 1 according to the The invention avoids the mass loss of products by drying (which is, in the case of bananas, of the order of 1% per day of storage). Furthermore, the installation 1 according to the invention allows the storage of the products cool and avoids their warming caused by possible internal chemical reactions (eg the exothermic transformation of fructose lactose in bananas).
- a device according to FIGS. 1 to 6 it was possible to cool bananas exposed on the stand and stored in the box to a temperature below 18 ° C. for a temperature outside of 24 ° C and 50% relative humidity. The same performance was achieved for bananas stored in the box storage area.
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- Special Spraying Apparatus (AREA)
- Devices That Are Associated With Refrigeration Equipment (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
FR1202220A FR2994374B1 (fr) | 2012-08-09 | 2012-08-09 | Installation pour rafraichir des articles exposes a la vente par un brouillard de gouttelettes d'eau |
PCT/FR2013/051889 WO2014023907A1 (fr) | 2012-08-09 | 2013-08-06 | Installation pour rafraichir des articles exposes a la vente par un brouillard de gouttelettes d'eau |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP2882537A1 true EP2882537A1 (fr) | 2015-06-17 |
Family
ID=47227862
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP13758937.0A Ceased EP2882537A1 (fr) | 2012-08-09 | 2013-08-06 | Installation pour rafraichir des articles exposes a la vente par un brouillard de gouttelettes d'eau |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20150230625A1 (fr) |
EP (1) | EP2882537A1 (fr) |
CA (1) | CA2881040C (fr) |
FR (1) | FR2994374B1 (fr) |
WO (1) | WO2014023907A1 (fr) |
Families Citing this family (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
FR3013239B1 (fr) * | 2013-11-19 | 2017-03-10 | Areco Finances Et Tech Arfitec | Tete de diffusion de brouillard munie d'un deflecteur |
FR3029431A1 (fr) | 2014-12-05 | 2016-06-10 | Areco Finances Et Tech - Arfitec | Dispositif de pulverisation compact |
JP6593690B2 (ja) * | 2015-09-01 | 2019-10-23 | パナソニックIpマネジメント株式会社 | 鮮度保持方法、鮮度保持装置、収納庫、及び、陳列装置 |
FR3064502A1 (fr) | 2017-03-28 | 2018-10-05 | Areco Finances Et Technologie - Arfitec | Dispositif de nebulisation compact, et ensemble de nebulisation comprenant un tel dispositif |
CA194480S (en) * | 2019-10-15 | 2022-01-17 | Schweitzer Project S P A | Refrigerator |
AT17600U1 (de) * | 2020-04-30 | 2022-08-15 | Leisch Beratungs Und Beteiligungs Gmbh | Präsentationssystem |
AU2022306497A1 (en) | 2021-07-06 | 2023-12-21 | Areco Finances Et Technologie - Arfitec | Open vertical refrigerated display case comprising improved nebulizing means |
FR3125114B1 (fr) | 2021-07-06 | 2023-12-08 | Areco Finances Et Tech Arfitec | Vitrine réfrigérée verticale ouverte comprenant des moyens de nébulisation perfectionnés |
Family Cites Families (20)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US1995729A (en) * | 1931-01-24 | 1935-03-26 | American Z Corp | Preservation or keeping and display of food substances |
US1950204A (en) * | 1933-05-01 | 1934-03-06 | New Service Mfg Corp | Fruit and vegetable display stand |
US2039768A (en) * | 1933-06-19 | 1936-05-05 | Benjamin F Bird | Vegetable hydrating apparatus |
US2097530A (en) * | 1936-10-03 | 1937-11-02 | Richard R Houdek | Refrigerator food display case |
US2218488A (en) * | 1937-06-01 | 1940-10-15 | Reich | Apparatus for maintaining perishable articles in fresh condition |
US2305435A (en) * | 1941-04-21 | 1942-12-15 | Clifton M Mcafee | Vegetable display stand |
US2531506A (en) * | 1946-10-29 | 1950-11-28 | Geneck Harry | Refrigerated display case having humidifying means |
US2533913A (en) * | 1949-08-04 | 1950-12-12 | John S Booth | Refrigerated vegetable display case and spray system |
US4179900A (en) * | 1976-07-12 | 1979-12-25 | Corrigan John E | Fresh produce preservation |
AT362406B (de) * | 1978-09-04 | 1981-05-25 | Bosshard Ernst | Kuehlvitrine |
US4358935A (en) * | 1981-07-02 | 1982-11-16 | General Electric Company | Apparatus to preserve vegetables |
US4612777A (en) * | 1983-07-08 | 1986-09-23 | Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. | Humidifier unit for refrigerated display cabinets |
US4808303A (en) * | 1986-08-21 | 1989-02-28 | Fractal, Inc. | Produce hydration system |
US4953363A (en) * | 1989-12-13 | 1990-09-04 | Floraline Display Products Corp. | Floral display case |
US5350117A (en) * | 1992-01-31 | 1994-09-27 | Itamar Kleinberger | Discriminating humidification system |
IT1287136B1 (it) * | 1996-11-07 | 1998-08-04 | Cima | Diffusore a ventaglio per atomizzatori o nebulizzatori di liquidi di trattamento in agricoltura |
US5740970A (en) * | 1996-11-27 | 1998-04-21 | Mistech, Inc. | Misting system |
US6129285A (en) * | 1998-08-11 | 2000-10-10 | Schafka; Mark Louis | System and method for air humidification |
US7195179B2 (en) * | 2003-06-01 | 2007-03-27 | Piezo Technologies | Piezoelectric mist generation device |
CA2462992C (fr) * | 2004-04-01 | 2006-03-21 | Foodtrust Of Prince Edward Island Limited | Presentoir refrigere |
-
2012
- 2012-08-09 FR FR1202220A patent/FR2994374B1/fr active Active
-
2013
- 2013-08-06 WO PCT/FR2013/051889 patent/WO2014023907A1/fr active Application Filing
- 2013-08-06 CA CA2881040A patent/CA2881040C/fr active Active
- 2013-08-06 EP EP13758937.0A patent/EP2882537A1/fr not_active Ceased
- 2013-08-06 US US14/420,473 patent/US20150230625A1/en not_active Abandoned
Non-Patent Citations (2)
Title |
---|
None * |
See also references of WO2014023907A1 * |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
CA2881040C (fr) | 2022-08-30 |
US20150230625A1 (en) | 2015-08-20 |
FR2994374A1 (fr) | 2014-02-14 |
WO2014023907A1 (fr) | 2014-02-13 |
FR2994374B1 (fr) | 2014-08-22 |
CA2881040A1 (fr) | 2014-02-13 |
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