EP3016552B1 - Refrigeration cabinets for containers - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a container cooling rack.

Such container refrigerated shelves are technologically very similar in technology to conventional refrigerated shelves, which are equally intended in particular for commercial use in the food sector, such as for sale of meat, vegetables, fruit or dairy products. Such refrigerated shelves, as well as container refrigerated shelves, comprise a goods compartment which is open or openable to at least one user side for access to goods. Depending on the specific embodiment, refrigerated shelves can have glass doors or the like here, which, however, is naturally not provided for in container refrigerated shelves. Other refrigerated shelves are in themselves open during the opening hours of corresponding stores that hold such refrigerated shelves, so that customers can directly and directly take out goods. For energy-related reasons, it may be provided that energy losses are minimized by covers, such as roller blinds and the like, outside of business hours.

The conventional refrigerated shelves comprise a frame work surrounding the goods space with a ceiling element and a wall, wherein in the ceiling element along the open or openable user side a cold air supply for the goods space or in conventional refrigerated shelves is provided for a cold air curtain. The cold air supply is provided with a cold air supply comprising a arranged at least partially in the conversion and in the ceiling element main air duct with an air intake and arranged in the main air duct fan and arranged in the main air duct cold point of a cooling unit.

Notwithstanding conventional refrigerated shelves container refrigerated shelves have at least one receptacle for a goods-carrying container, such as for a trolley or for goods pallets, which can be equipped with containers on the user side. This requires that a bottom group of the container cooling rack for trolleys or goods pallets carrying pallet truck must be accessible, so that appropriate equipment can be done. Such a configuration has the advantage over conventional refrigerated shelves that a loading or re-sorting of the container cooling shelves in the field of recording can be done quickly and efficiently even with large quantities of goods. Accordingly, container refrigerated shelves do not have bottom trays, such as those found in conventional refrigerated shelves.

It is understood that in the upper areas of the container cooling shelves and conventional shelves, as they are known in conventional refrigerated shelves, may be provided. In such cases, then only the space remaining under the lower shelf is available as a receptacle for the containers.

US 2005/257548 A1 discloses a refrigerated counter adapted to receive at least one wheeled cart. The refrigerated counter has a display case with a rear and a bottom wall defining a product display area. The exhibition area has access to receive the cart within the product display area and an air passageway having an inlet and an outlet in fluid communication with the product display area, the air passageway having a lower return drainage channel in fluid communication with the inlet. A carriage support surface is provided by the lower wall and is raised above the floor with a ramp rotatably connected to the carriage support surface and movable between a storage position and an operating position.

JP S 49 141093 U and JP H 07 113570 A disclosed a refrigerated counter with a hinged front panel.

FR 1 597 328 A discloses a refrigerated display case having an access opening for unhindered access to chilled goods therein, wherein the refrigerated display case comprises at least one movable compartment on which the refrigerated goods can be stored. Furthermore, the refrigerated display case comprises a fixed part having a main part with an air opening and a movable front part with an air opening and means for moving cooled air between the air openings to form an air curtain in front of the access opening. The fixed part can accommodate the movable compartments in a working position in which both Parts cooperate, and leaves with the front part removed a movement of the movable compartments in this and from this working position.

It is an object of the present invention to increase the energy efficiency of container refrigerated shelves.

As a solution, a container cooling rack with the features of claim 1 is proposed. Further advantageous embodiments can be found in the subclaims and the following description.

The invention is based on the basic knowledge that to increase the energy efficiency in container refrigerated shelves, a suitable air curtain that forms before the goods on the user side, is advantageous, in particular for this purpose, a corresponding intake, which, if possible, the cold air of the cold air curtain aspirates with as little warm room air, in this regard is an advantage.

Accordingly, it is advantageous if in the bottom region of the container cooling shelf, a bottom plate with a support for the container and with the air intake, is provided, wherein the air intake extends parallel to the cold air supply. In this way, an air intake substantially on the user side, ie before the goods are made, so that all goods that are located within the goods space, including in the containers, are separated over the cold air curtain to the outside. This also avoids, in particular, that warmer room air mixes with the cold air of the cold air curtain to an inadmissible extent.

Cumulatively, a front opening with the air intake is provided which can be opened with the container. By such a front end, which has an active air intake, the air intake is not directly on the ground but by the front end itself spatially increased, which in turn means that less room air is sucked. In addition, this embodiment allows, when the front end sufficiently tight against the other wall of the container cooling rack, the configuration of an arrangement that is similar to the bottom trays in conventional refrigerated shelves, and already proven in terms of their energy efficiency in conventional refrigerated shelves Has. The Öffenbarkeit for placement purposes, however, obstructs the loading of containers, so for example with trolleys or pallets only insignificantly.

In a preferred concrete implementation, the front end may include a front end air duct, on the one hand has the air intake and on the other hand connected via a duct outlet with an air intake of a bottom plate and / or with another channel entrance of the main air duct. In this way, the sucked in via the air intake cold air of the cold air curtain can be easily and structurally reliable out of the front end in the main air duct. It is understood that, where appropriate, other solutions, such as a connection via air hoses or the like may come to applications, the above solutions have the advantage that they can be realized with little structural effort across the width of the entire container cooling rack away, so that even very large channel cross sections can be implemented without further ado.

Preferably, the front closure is walk-trained so that customers - but possibly also operating personnel - can ascend to the front end to reach shelves or in areas that are located higher in the container cooling rack.

The front end is formed by lateral rails, which are provided on the framework of the container cooling shelf, upwardly displaceable, this movement can be supported by appropriate mechanical aids, such as counterweights, if necessary.

In a concrete implementation, the bottom plate of the container cooling rack, in which the air intake is provided, be designed to be interrupted, so that wheels of pallet truck or of rolling stock can be placed on the floor remaining in the recording. This avoids that the corresponding wheels are shifted upwards in order to get to the bottom plate, so that a loading of the receptacle for operating personnel compared to conventional container refrigerated shelves is not difficult.

If it should be found in such an embodiment that the forming cold air curtain does not fall down sufficiently uniformly, since naturally also no air suction can take place there on the basis of corresponding recesses of the bottom plate, it is advantageous if the bottom plate is continuous. Alternatively, a header in front of the bottom plate may be provided with a continuous or with a widened air intake similar to the front end, which can be removed from the assembled and reassembled after loading. In practice, however, a continuous floor slab has proven to be relatively efficient and reliable.

Preferably, the cold air supply and the air intake each have a length in the horizontal direction and parallel to the user side, wherein the length of the air intake deviates by a maximum of 50% of the length of the cold air supply. It has been found that large deviations lead to large energy losses. Preferably, the length of the air intake differs by a maximum of 20%, in particular by a maximum of 10%, of the length of the cold air supply, so that the cold air curtain can be formed as parallel and uniform as possible.

Overall, it is advantageous if the length of the cold air supply or the air intake amounts to at least 90%, preferably 95%, of the open user side, so that the corresponding cold air curtain covers the user side as widely as possible.

Preferably, the bottom plate is also provided with an air duct, so a bottom plate air duct, so that the air from the air intake can be directed in a structurally simple manner to the main air duct.

It is understood that both the bottom plate air duct and the front end air duct can be made substantially airtight. Optionally, it is also conceivable to design an air channel open on the bottom side, as long as corresponding edge elements ensure reliable operation of the air and in particular limit the penetration of warm air to a minimum.

Likewise, it is advantageous if the respective connections between the different air ducts are accordingly airtight or approximately airtight.

In particular, when the bottom plate is formed continuously and has a very wide air duct, this can be stiffened against a possible bending or supported by support elements.

Furthermore, it is understood that the respective air intake may be covered by a grid to minimize the risk of objects entering the air duct. Likewise, known from the field of conventional refrigerated shelves gutters or other cleaning devices may be provided accordingly.

To form a sufficient channel cross-section for the bottom plate air duct, the bottom plate may well be 1 cm or a little more high.

In order to be able to push the containers up onto the bottom plate, it is advantageous if the bottom plate comprises a ramp or on which a ramp can be attached. In this way, a loading of the receptacle is facilitated with containers.

Depending on the specific implementation of the present invention, the ramp may be designed to be foldable or to be able to be pushed in or out so that it does not support the formation of a floor pan in the area of the receptacle or if it does not hinder the application of a front end if it is not used for equipping ,

Alternatively, the ramp may have openings that serve as an air intake, or have the air intake itself. Then, a movable or hinged version of the ramp is not necessary, so that the ramp itself has the air intake. It is also conceivable that a front end with its channel outlet attaches the front end air duct to the openings of the ramp, so that the air sucked through the front end and its air intake via this channel exit and the openings of the ramp, which then serves as the channel entrance of the main air duct, to the main air duct arrives.

It is understood that the features of the solutions described above or in the claims can optionally also be combined in order to implement the advantages in a cumulative manner.

Figur 1

ein erstes nicht erfindungsgemäßes Ausführungsbeispiel eines Containerkühlregals in schematischer Schnittdarstellung;

Figur 2

ein zweites nicht erfindungsgemäßes Ausführungsbeispiel eines Containerkühlregals in ähnlicher Darstellung wie Figur 1;

Figur 3

die Anordnung nach Figur 2 in einem Ausschnitt beim Bestücken;

Figur 4

die Anordnung nach Figuren 2 und 3 in demselben Ausschnitt wie Figur 3 beim Ansetzen des Frontabschlusses;

Figur 5

eine vergrößerte Darstellung der Anordnung nach Figur 2;

Figur 6

ein drittes nicht erfindungsgemäßes Ausführungsbeispiel eines Containerkühlregals in ähnlicher Ansicht wie Figuren 1 bis 5;

Figur 7

ein viertes nicht erfindungsgemäßes Ausführungsbeispiel eines Containerkühlregals in ähnlicher Darstellung wie Figuren 3 und 4 bei abgesetztem Frontabschluss;

Figur 8

die Anordnung nach Figur 7 bei angesetztem Frontabschluss in ähnlicher Darstellung wie Figuren 3, 4 und 7; und

Figur 9

eine Detailansicht einer Bodenplatte mit Rampe, wie sie bei den Ausführungsbeispielen nach Figuren 6 bis 8 zur Anwendung kommen kann.

Further advantages, objects and features of the present invention will be explained with reference to the following description of exemplary embodiments, which are shown in particular in the appended drawing. In the drawing show:

FIG. 1

a first non-inventive embodiment of a container cooling rack in a schematic sectional view;

FIG. 2

a second non-inventive embodiment of a container cooling rack in a similar representation as FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3

the arrangement after FIG. 2 in a section when equipping;

FIG. 4

the arrangement after Figures 2 and 3 in the same section as FIG. 3 when applying the front end;

FIG. 5

an enlarged view of the arrangement according to FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 6

a third non-inventive embodiment of a container cooling rack in a similar view FIGS. 1 to 5 ;

FIG. 7

a fourth non-inventive embodiment of a container cooling rack in a similar representation as FIGS. 3 and 4 with the front end removed;

FIG. 8

the arrangement after FIG. 7 with attached front end in similar representation as FIGS. 3, 4 and 7 ; and

FIG. 9

a detailed view of a floor slab with ramp, as in the embodiments according to FIGS. 6 to 8 can be used.

The container cooling racks 1 shown in the figures each have a goods compartment 3 for food or similar perishable goods, which is open to a user side 2. Not shown is a possible night cover, which - depending on the concrete implementation of existing embodiments - if necessary, for example, can be pulled down as a roller blind on the user side.

The container cooling shelves 1 have a receptacle 4 in the goods space 3 for receiving containers 5, such as for example of trolleys or goods pallets, on, so that the container cooler shelves 1 can be quickly stocked with appropriate goods, even if they are large quantities or heavy goods.

The container cooling shelves comprise a stud 6, which carries a ceiling element 7 in a ceiling region 16 and a wall 8, which closes the container cooling shelf 1 apart from the user side 2 side and is constructed correspondingly insulating.

In the wall 8 of the container cooling shelves 8, a main air duct 11 is guided in each case, which also extends into the ceiling element 7 and in which a fan 13 and a cold point 14, as usually an evaporator of a cooler unit, are arranged.

As a result, a cold air supply 10 to a cold air supply 9 for the goods space 3 or for a cold air curtain 28 before the goods room 3 gewährleitstet.

It is understood that the container cooling shelves 1 each have a longitudinal extent perpendicular to the plane of the drawing and can certainly extend over several meters, to over 10 meters or even longer, long. If appropriate, in order to be able to ensure appropriate cooling capacities, a plurality of main air ducts 11 or a plurality of cold junctions 14 and fans 13 are provided. Likewise, in particular for reasons of stability, vertical partitions or additional support means of the stud work 6 can serve for stabilization. As a rule, the container cooling racks 1 are delivered in longitudinal sections between 1 meter and 3 meters and, if necessary, assembled on site in order to avoid unnecessarily complicating an onward transport.

All of the container cooling racks 1 shown in the figures have in the bottom region 15 an air intake 12 for the main air duct 11, which is connected via a bottom plate air duct 25 in a bottom plate 17 with the main air duct 11. As already stated above, a correspondingly close airtight connection between the channels 25 and 11 is advantageous. In modified embodiments, the bottom plate can be designed to be open at the bottom so that a corresponding air duct is formed on the one hand by the bottom plate and on the other hand by the bottom on which the container cooling shelf 1 stands. In such an embodiment, it is advantageous if the air duct formed thereby is bounded laterally by corresponding boundaries on the bottom plate.

Depending on the specific design of the bottom plate 17, the bottom plate 17 may have supports, not shown here, within the bottom plate air channel 25, which prevent or minimize bending of the bottom plate 17 into the bottom plate air channel 25. If appropriate, further reinforcements of the bottom plate 17 can alternatively or cumulatively be provided for this purpose.

In the embodiments shown here, the bottom plate 17 is formed continuously in the longitudinal direction and forms a support 18 for the container 5. In modified embodiments, the bottom plate or the bottom plate air duct may be interrupted so that wheels do not come to the bottom plate air duct but next to the same and the Container 5 does not have to be raised by the height of the bottom plate 17 including the bottom plate air duct 25 during loading.

At the in FIG. 1 illustrated container cooling rack 1 is a hinged ramp 19 is provided, which facilitates a sliding of the container 5. For loading, this ramp 19 conceals the air intake 12, which, however, is uncritical in terms of energy, since such loading processes take only a short time of the total operating time of the container cooling rack 1. After loading, the ramp 19, which is attached to the bottom plate 17 via a hinge, folded up, so that the air intake 12 is released. In addition, the ramp 12 forms together with the remaining wall 8 of the container cooling rack 1 in the folded state in the bottom region 15 a trough, which holds cold air back. The released air intake 12 can then extend parallel to the cold air supply 9 and in this embodiment over the same length of the cold air supply 9 readily.

In a to the embodiment according to FIG. 1 modified embodiment, the ramp 19 may also be removable or formed on or in the bottom plate 17 in slidable.

Also in FIGS. 2 to 5 illustrated embodiment (wherein in Figures 2 and 5 for reasons of clarity, the fan 13 is not shown again) has a ramp 19, which is formed correspondingly hinged. This ramp may possibly be removable or designed to be pushed in any way.

At the in FIGS. 2 to 5 illustrated embodiment, after any assembly operations are completed and the ramp 19 is folded up, a front end 20 is pushed in front of the bottom plate 17, which has in its body a front end channel 21 which on the one hand to an air intake 12 of the front end 20 and on the other hand connected to a channel exit 22 is. Here, the air intake 12 of the front end 20 is directed upward and compared to the air intake 12 of the embodiment according to FIG. 1 arranged elevated and the channel output 22 when the front end 20 is pushed in front of the bottom plate 17, connected to a channel inlet 23 of the bottom plate air channel 25, wherein the channel inlet 23 is substantially the air intake 12 according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 equivalent. The higher and upwardly arranged air intake 12, on the one hand, promotes the formation of a possibly parallel cold air curtain 28. In addition, the risk that foreign air, which is naturally slightly warmer, is sucked minimized.

For safety reasons, the front end 20 at the in FIGS. 2 to 5 illustrated embodiment of the bottom plate 17 or otherwise locked to the stud 6, so that the front end 20 can also be entered by customers or staff to reach higher regions, such as goods on any shelves 24.

At the in FIGS. 6 to 8 illustrated embodiments has been dispensed with a separate and movable ramp 19. Rather, the ramp 19 is integrated into the bottom plate 17, as shown in detail in FIG FIG. 9 illustrated by way of example, and the air intake 12 through openings 26 in the ramp 19 realized.

By such a configuration can on a hinged ramp 19, as in the container cooling rack 1 after FIGS. 1 to 5 is provided, are dispensed with, so that even hereby a ramp 19 including an air intake 12 can be realized structurally simple.

It is also possible, a bottom plate 17, which the arrangement according to FIG. 9 corresponds to combine with a front end, for example, if this has a corresponding approach to the ramp 19, which corresponds directly to the ramp 19, as this in the embodiments according to FIGS. 6 to 8 is realized.

Thus, the exemplary embodiment FIG. 6 a front end 20, which is arranged on a lever arm 27, so that the front end 20 can be folded up on the lever arm 27. The lever arm 27 is attached via a not quantified rotary joint to the stator 6. Optionally, it is also conceivable the front end 20, according to the embodiments FIGS. 2 to 5 is used to attach via such a lever arm to the container cooling rack. Depending on the specific implementation, further detents may be provided. According to the invention, instead of a lever arm, vertically directed guide rails are used for guiding the front end 20.

At the in FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrated embodiment, the front end 20 according to the embodiment according to FIGS. 2 to 5 designed removable and displaceable, with this front end corresponding complementary to the ramp 19 as in FIG. 9 is shown, is configured so that can be dispensed with a hinged or otherwise movable ramp 19.

By the bottom plate 17, the ramp 19 and the frontal end 20 respectively air intake 12 are provided, which extend over long lengths substantially parallel to the cold air supply 9. The air sucked in this way passes through the bottom plate air duct 25 into the main air duct 11, where it is sucked by the fan 13 and conveyed upwards.

In this case, the air passes through a cold point 14 of a refrigeration unit, such as an evaporator. About the formed in the wall 8 and in the stator 6 main air duct 11, which, as in conventional refrigerated shelves well known, may also have other openings to the goods compartment 3, the cold air enters the ceiling element 7 and is on the cold air supply 10th the cold air supply 9 for a cold air curtain 28 (exemplified in FIG. 2 shown).

This cold air curtain 28 isolates the goods compartment 3 in particular against room air, whereby it inevitably heats up a bit. By the air suckers 12, which extend over a large length parallel to the cold air supply 9, a large part of the cold air curtain 28 is sucked in, so that the cooling at the cold spot 14 and the performance of the Fan 13 can be minimized. This applies in particular when using the front end 20 with its higher air intake 12.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

containers refrigerated

2

user page

3

goods space

4

admission

5

Container

6

studding

7

ceiling element

8th

wall

9

Cold air supply 10 Cold air supply

11

Main air duct

12

Air intake

13

fan

14

cold junction

15

floor area

16

ceiling area

17

baseplate

18

In stock

19

ramp

20

front completion

21

Front final channel

22

channel output

23

channel input

24

shelf

25

Bottom panel air duct

26

opening

27

lever arm

28

Cold air curtain

Claims (6)

1. Container refrigerating cabinet (1) comprising (i) a goods space (3), which is open or openable towards at least one user side (2) for rapid access to goods, with at least one receptacle (4) for a container (5) carrying goods, (ii) an upright structure (6), which encloses the goods space (3), with a ceiling element (7) and a wall (8), (iii) a cold air supply (9) provided in the ceiling element (7) along the open or openable user side (2), and (iv) a cold air feed (10) to the cold air supply (9), which comprises a main air channel (11), which is arranged at least partly in the wall (8), with an air suction intake (12) as well as a fan (13) arranged in the main air channel (11) and a cold point (14), which is arranged in the main air channel (11), of a cooling unit, wherein the receptacle (4) can be equipped by way of the user side (2) with containers (5), with a front closure (20), which is openable for equipping with the container (5), with the air suction intake (12), characterised in that the front closure (20) is displaceable upwardly by way of lateral rails, wherein rails are arranged at the upright structure (6).
2. Container refrigerating cabinet (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the front closure (20) comprises a front closure air channel (21) which on the one hand has the air suction intake (12) and on the other hand is connectible by way of a channel outlet (22) with an air suction intake (12) of a base plate (17) and/or with a channel inlet (23) of the main air channel (11).
3. Container refrigerating cabinet (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the front closure (20) can be walked on.
4. Container refrigerating cabinet (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the cold air supply (9) has a length and the air suction intake (12) has a length and the length of the air suction intake (12) differs by at most 50% from the length of the cold air supply (9).
5. Container refrigerating cabinet (1) according to claim 4, characterised in that the length of the air suction intake (12) differs by at most 20%, preferably by at most 10%, from the length of the cold air supply (9).
6. Container refrigerating cabinet according to claim 1, characterised in that counterweights assisting displacement of the front closure (20) are provided.

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