EP3110294A1

EP3110294A1 - Refrigerated sales cabinet

Info

Publication number: EP3110294A1
Application number: EP14707195.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Sophie MILLE; Oliver Stakelbeck
Original assignee: Carrier Corp
Current assignee: Carrier Corp
Priority date: 2014-02-28
Filing date: 2014-02-28
Publication date: 2017-01-04
Anticipated expiration: 2034-02-28
Also published as: EP3110294B1; CN106028879A; WO2015127996A1

Abstract

A refrigerated sales cabinet (20) comprises a cabinet body (22) providing a refrigerated sales space (29) for supporting refrigerated goods to be presented therein; and a door frame (21) having a top post (34), a bottom post (36), and at least two upright posts (32, 32a), wherein at least one of the posts (32, 32a, 34, 36) comprises a main body (4) having a constant cross-section including a rear wall portion (4a) and two side portions (46), respectively extending forwardly from the rear wall portion (4a), the rear wall portion (4a) and at least one of the two side portions (46) being at least partially in contact with refrigerated air; and an front element (9), a front portion (11) of which being in contact with warmer ambient air. The refrigerated sales cabinet (20) further comprises a door (38), which is moveable between an open state providing access to the refrigerated sales space (29) and a closed state shutting the refrigerated sales space (29). The door (38) is configured to abut, in its closed state, only against a side portion (46) of the at least one of the posts (32, 32a, 34, 36).

Description

Refrigerated Sales Cabinet

The present invention relates to a refrigerated sales cabinet.

Refrigerated sales cabinets as they are known in the art respectively comprise a cabinet body, side panels, a door frame and at least one door, wherein the side panels are installed on the sides of the cabinet body, the door frame is installed on the cabinet body, the door is installed on the door frame, and sealing strips are provided between the cabinet door and the door frame.

The door frame comprising a front surface, which is exposed to ambient conditions, is cooled when the refrigerated sales cabinet is operated. If the temperature of the front surface drops below the dew point, humid ambient air condensates at said front surface causing water droplets to appear; this is uncomfortable for the customers. Therefore, there is a desire to prevent the temperature of the front surface to fall below the dew point temperature in order to avoid condensation at said front surface.

A refrigerated sales cabinet according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention comprises a cabinet body providing a refrigerated sales space for supporting refrigerated goods to be presented therein and a door frame having a top post, a bottom post, and at least two upright posts. At least one of the posts comprises a main body having a constant cross-section including a rear wall portion and two side portions respectively extending forwardly from the rear wall portion, the rear wall portion and at least one of the two side portions being at least partially in contact with refrigerated air; and a front element, a front portion of which being in contact with warmer ambient air. The refrigerated sales cabinet further comprises a door, which is moveable between an open state providing access to the refrigerated sales space and a closed state shutting the refrigerated sales space, wherein the door is configured to abut, in its closed state, only against a side portion of at least one of the posts.

In a refrigerated sales cabinet according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention the doors do not contact the front element, which is exposed to warm ambient air and therefore has a higher temperature than the doors, in particular the inner panel of the doors and the side wall portions of the post facing the refrigerated sales space. In consequence, the formation of a heat bridge, which would allow an undesirable transfer of heat from the relatively warm front side of the front element via the doors into the cooled refrigerated sales space, is reliably prevented. As a result, the temperature of the front side of the front element remains high and a condensation of moisture form the ambient air on the front side of the front element is reliably avoided. Additionally, the energy needed for cooling the refrigerated sales space is minimized, as the entry of thermal energy into the refrigerated sales space is considerably reduced.

The disclosure of the invention will become more easily understood with reference to the enclosed drawings.

The figures and the following discussion describe particular embodiments of the invention so as to teach those skilled in the art how to produce and use the best modes of the invention. In order to teach the principle of the invention, several conventional aspects have been simplified or omitted. Those skilled in the art should understand that variations originating from these embodiments also fall within the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the features to be described below can be combined in various ways so as to form numerous variations of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the following particular embodiments and is merely defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Figure 1 shows an exploded view of a refrigerated sales cabinet of the front-access type with doors and a door frame according to a first embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 shows a horizontal cross section through one of the upright posts of the door frame according to a first exemplary embodiment.

Figure 3 shows a horizontal cross section through one of the upright posts of the door frame according to a second exemplary embodiment.

Figure 4 shows a horizontal cross section through one of the upright posts of the door frame according to a third exemplary embodiment.

Figure 5 shows a horizontal cross section through one of the upright posts of the door frame according to a fourth exemplary embodiment.

A refrigerated sales cabinet 20 of the front-access type with doors 38 and a door frame 21 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in Figure 1.

The refrigerated sales cabinet 20 as shown in Figure 1 comprises a cabinet body 22, a left side panel 30, a right side panel 31 , a door frame 21 and a plurality of doors 38. The cabin- et body 22 comprises a bottom part 26, a roof plate 24, a rear wall 27 defining a refrigerated goods storage and presentations space ("refrigerated sales space") 29 comprising a plurality of goods presentation shelves 28.

A complete refrigeration circuit comprising a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device and an evaporator may be installed in the cabinet body 22, in order to provide a standalone refrigerated cabinet which only needs to be connected to an electric power supply for operation.

Alternatively, only one or more evaporators may be installed within the cabinet body 22, the evaporators being configured to be fluidly connected to an external refrigeration circuit provided in the building in which the refrigerated sales cabinet is to be installed.

The refrigerated sales cabinet 20 may be a cooling sales cabinet 20 which is configured to cool the refrigerated sales space 29 to cooling temperatures above 0 °C. Alternatively, the refrigerated sales cabinet 20 may be a freezing sales cabinet 20, which is configured to cool the refrigerated sales space 29 to freezing temperatures below 0 °C, in particular to temperatures below -15 °C in order to store and present frozen goods to potential customers.

The left side panel 30 and the right side panel 31 are respectively installed on the left and right hand side of the cabinet body 22. The door frame 21, which comprises a plurality of vertical extending upright posts 32, 32a a horizontal top post 34 and a horizontal bottom post 36, respectively connecting the upright posts 32, 32a to each other, is installed on a front side of the cabinet body 22.

A plurality of cabinet doors 38 is installed on the front side of the door frame 21. The doors 38 are formed as hinged doors 38, wherein two hinges 33 for each door are provided at on of the posts 32, 32a, 34, 36 close to an upright post 32, 32a and a handle 35 for opening and closing the door 38 in a swinging motion is provided at the side of the door 38 opposite to the hinges 33.

Figure 2 shows a first exemplary embodiment of a horizontal cross section through one of the upright posts 32 located in the middle of the door frame 21. The skilled person will easily understand that the principles shown and described in the following for one of the upright posts 32 located in the middle of the door frame 21 may be applied likewise to the lateral upright posts 32a located at the left and right sides of the door frame 21 and to the frame's horizontal posts 34, 36, as well. In accordance with a first embodiment of the invention an upright post 32 includes a rigid main body 4, which may be made of aluminium or another high strength material, as e.g. glass reinforced plastic, having a basically C-shaped cross section comprising a rear wall portion 4a and two side wall portions 4b forming respective side portions 46 of the upright post 32.

The rear wall portion 4a and the two side wall portions 4b are exposed to the refrigerated sales space 29 and are therefore cooled to low temperatures when the refrigerated sales cabinet 20 is operated.

The side wall portions 4b are arranged basically parallel to each other and perpendicular to the rear wall portion 4a. A support member 4c is arranged within the main body 4 extending basically parallel to the rear wall portion 4a and being connected to the side wall portions 4b by two inclined lateral portions 4d.

Said configuration constitutes an elongated first hollow space 5 within the main body 4, the elongated hollow space 5 being defined by the support member 4c, the rear wall portion 4a and the two side wall portions 4b. Optionally, the first hollow space 5 may be filled with an insulating material, e.g. a thermally insulating foam, in order to enhance the thermally insulating properties of the upright post 32.

A front side of the support member 4c facing the front side of the refrigerated sales cabinet 20 is provided with two first connection elements having the form of fastening bracket members 8a, which are formed as hooks basically extending opposite to each other in a plane which extends basically parallel to the plane of the support member 4c. A front element 9 is attached to the support member 4c by means of second connection elements having the form of corresponding fastening bracket members 8b, which are provided at the rear side of a rear panel 10 of the front element 9 and engage with the first fastening bracket members 8a provided at the support member 4c. The mutual engagement of the fastening bracket members 8a, 8b allows to conveniently and securely attach the front element 9 to the main body 4 of the upright post 32.

The first and second fastening bracket members 8a, 8b are arranged in a central portion of the support member 4c, which is spaced apart from the two side wall portions 4b, in order to reduce the transfer of heat (thermal energy) from the front element 9 to the main body 4 via the fastening bracket members 8a, 8b. In a particular embodiment, each of the bracket members 8a, 8b is spaced at least 15 mm from the respective closest side wall portion 4b. In order to reduce the transfer of heat via the fastening bracket members 8a, 8b even further, the area of contact 6 between the first and second fastening bracket members 8a, 8b is made as small as possible. In particular, the width of the area of contact 6 measured parallel to the extension of the support member 4c is configured to be not larger than 10 % of the width of said support member 4c and not to exceed 8 mm. In an alternative embodiment the extension of the support member 4c is configured to be not larger than 5 % of the width of the support member 4c and does not exceed 5 mm.

The fastening bracket members 8a, 8b respectively comprise at least one hook, the hooks of the first and second fastening bracket members 8a, 8b hooking into each other in order to attach the front element 9 to the main body 4. At least one of the hooks of the front element 9 and/or of the main body 4 is provided with an inclined surface respectively facing away from the front element 9 or the main body 4. Providing hooks with inclined surfaces facilitates the movement of the hooks into their mutually engaging position.

The front element 9 includes the rear panel 10 facing the support member 4c and comprising the corresponding second fastening bracket members 8b mentioned before. The rear panel 10 comprises a basically planar central portion 10a and two side wall strips 10b extending basically rectangularly from the plane of the central portion 10a thereby forming a C-shape when looked at in the cross-section. The rear panel 10 extends basically parallel to the rear wall portion 4a of the main body 4 spanning the distance between the two side wall portions 4b and providing two second hollow spaces 7a, 7b, which are respectively defined by the front element 9 and the main body 4, in particular by the rear panel 10, one of the side wall portions 4b and the support member 4c.

The front element 9 further comprises a basically planar front panel 11, which is arranged facing the doors 38 opposite to the rear panel 10 on the front side of the front element 9.

The second hollow spaces 7a, 7b provide additional thermal insulation between the front element 9 and the main body 4 reducing the transfer of heat from the front panel 11 of the front element 9 to the main body 4 in order to reduce or even avoid the condensation of ambient air at the front panel 11 of the front element 9.

In an embodiment a thermally insulating coating 11a enhancing the thermal insulating properties of the front element 9 is applied to the front panel 11. As such a thermally insulating coating 11a, which e.g. may apply nano-technology resulting in a very low thermal conductivity of e.g. less than 0,02 W/mK, provides a very efficient thermally insulating coating 11a, a thin coating 11a, which does not considerably add to the thickness of the front panel 11 and which may e.g. be applied by spraying, may be sufficient in order to re- liably prevent the condensation of ambient air on the front side of the refrigerating sales cabinet 20. The thermally insulating coating 11a can be a clear and mole preventing coating used to insulate. It can be non-hazardous and water-based. An example for a suitable nano-technology based material is for example provided by "Nansulate"®, which is commercially available.

Optionally at least a portion of the rear panel 10, in particular the back-side of the rear panel 10 facing the main body 4, is covered with a thermally insulating coating, which is not shown in the figures, as well, in order to reduce the transfer of heat through the front element 9 even further.

A thermally insulating material 12 is provided on the front side of the rear panel 10 of the front element 9 facing the front panel 11. Said thermally insulating material 12 may be enclosed within the front element 9 in between the rear panel 10, the lateral side wall strips 10b and the front panel 11. Such an enclosure within the front element 9 protects the thermally insulating material 12 from being damaged, e.g. by the doors 38 or clumsy customers hitting the upright post 32, and further allows an easy installation of the thermally insulating material 12 at the main body 4 of the upright post 32.

The thermally insulating material 12 may include a thermally insulating foam, an aerogel based on nano-technology and/or a vacuum panel in order to provide thermal insulation.

The rear and front panels 10, 11 of the front element 9 may be made of any suitable plastic or metallic material, e.g. Aluminium or PVC, or a combination thereof.

In the embodiment, which is shown in Figure 1, a door 38 is respectively arranged on each side of the upright post 32, the plane of each door 38 being oriented parallel to the front side of the front element 9 when the door 38 is arranged in its closed position, the outermost front plane of the door 38 in particular being oriented parallel and in-line with the outermost front plane of the front panel 11 of the front element 9.

In a first embodiment shown in Figure 2 each of the doors 38 comprises at least two door panels 40a, 40b, an inner door panel 40a and an outer door panel 40b, which are arranged parallel to each other forming a thermally insulating space 44 in between, which preferably is a vacuum or filled with a thermally insulating material. The door panels 40a, 40b may be made of a transparent material, e.g. glass or plexiglass, allowing customers to inspect the goods presented on the shelves 28 of the refrigerated sales cabinet 20 even when the doors 38 are arranged in their respective closed positions. The door panels 40a, 40b are fixed to each other by means of a frame element 42 sealingly plugging the thermally insulating space 44 formed between the two panels 40a, 40b.

A sealing element 58, which may be provided in the form of a sealing strip, is attached to the side of the door's frame element 42 facing the side wall portion 4b of the upright post 32 in order to seal the interface between the door frame 21 and the door 38 in an airtight fashion when the door 38 is positioned in its closed state preventing cold air from flowing out of the refrigerated sales space 29 through a gap formed between the door 38 and the upright post 32. The sealing element 58 may be fixed either to the door 38 or to the upright post 32.

A magnetic lock 54, 56 comprising a metal element or strip 56 and a magnetic (e.g. ferrite) element or strip 56 may be provided at the upright post 32 and the doors 38 in order to hold the doors 38 in their respective closed position with respect to the door frame 21 by means of magnetic force. In an embodiment a solenoid may be used instead of a magnetic element 56 allowing activating and deactivating the magnetic lock 54, 56 by selectively activating and deactivating the solenoid.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the doors 38, which are cooled by the cold air being present in the refrigerated sales space 29 when the refrigerated sales cabinet 20 is operated, are (via the sealing element 58) in contact only with the side wall portions 4c of the upright post 32, which are in contact with the cold air within the refrigerated sales space 29 and therefore have a low temperature, as well. The doors 38, in particular, do not contact the front element 9, which is exposed to warm ambient air and therefore has a higher temperature than the doors 38, in particular the inner panel 40a of the doors 38 and the side wall portions 4b of the upright post 32 facing the refrigerated sales space 29.

Thus, the formation of a heat bridge, which would allow an undesirable transfer of heat from the relatively warm front side of the front element 9 via the doors 38 into the cooled refrigerated sales space 29 is reliably prevented. As a result, the temperature of the front side of the front element 9 remains high and condensation of moisture form the ambient air on the front side of the front element 9 is reliably avoided. Additionally, the energy needed for cooling the refrigerated sales space 29 is minimized, as the entry of thermal energy into the refrigerated sales space 29 is considerably reduced.

Figure 3 shows a horizontal cross section through one of the upright posts 32 located in the middle of a door frame 21 according to a second exemplary embodiment of the invention. The elements which are identical with elements of the first embodiment shown in Figure 2 are denoted with the same reference signs and will not be discussed in detail again.

Contrary to the first embodiment shown in Figure 2, the doors 38 of the second embodiment are not arranged in-line with but in front of and spaced apart from the front panel 11 of the front element 9 in a direction which is perpendicular to the front side of the front element 9.

Two support members 50 having the form of support arms 50 laterally extending from each of the side wall portions 4b of the main body 4, in particular an outer middle portion of the respective side wall portion 4b, support respective lateral extensions 48 extending basically parallel to and in-line with the front panel 11 of the front element 9. The support arms 50 are inclined with respect to the side wall portions 4b and the lateral extensions 48 are fixed to the ends of support arms facing away from the side wall portions 4b. The skilled person is aware of the fact that alternative, even more stable structures of the support members 50 mounted to the side wall portions 4b of the main body 4 are possible.

In the second embodiment shown in Figure 3, a gap 7 is provided between the outer front edge of the side wall portions 4b and the lateral extensions 48.

Alternatively or additionally the lateral extensions 48 may be connected to the front edge of the respective side wall portion 4b extending perpendicularly from the respective side wall portion 4b, according to a third embodiment, which is shown in Figure 4.

In the second as well as in the third embodiment the front side of each of the lateral extensions 48 facing the doors 38 may be provided with a sealing element 58, which may be provided as a sealing strip, for sealing the interface between the lateral extension 48 and the door 38 in an airtight fashion, when the door 38 is arranged in its closed state in order to prevent cool air from flowing out of the refrigerated sales space 29 through a gap formed between the door 38 and the upright post 32. Alternatively, the sealing element 58 may be fixed to the door 38.

A magnetic lock 54, 56 comprising a metal element or strip 53 and a magnetic (e.g. ferrite) element or strip 56 may be provided at the lateral extension 48 of the upright post 32 and the door 38 for holding the door 38 in its closed state with respect to the door frame 21 by means of magnetic force. In an embodiment a solenoid may be used instead of a magnetic strip 56 allowing selectively activating and deactivating the magnetic lock 54, 56 by activating and deactivating the solenoid. In the second and third embodiments shown in Figures 3 and 4 the plane of each door 38 is arranged in front of the upright posts 32 with a distance between the front side of the upright post 32 and the rear side of the door 38, when the door 38 is positioned in its closed state. In consequence, in the closed state, there is no contact between the doors 38 and the front element 9, which is arranged at the front side of the upright post 32 and which is exposed to warm ambient air. Thus, an undesired transfer of heat from the warm portion of the front element 9 via the doors 38 into the cooled refrigerated sales space 29 is reliably avoided.

Figure 5 shows a horizontal cross section through one of the upright posts 32 located in the middle of a door frame 21 according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the invention.

The elements which are identical with elements of the first embodiment shown in Figure 3 are denoted with the same reference signs and will not be discussed in detail again.

In the third embodiment two electric heating elements 14 are provided with the front element 9 in order to avoid the condensation of moisture from ambient air on the front panel 11 of the front element 9 even under extreme conditions when the thermal insulation of the front element 9 is not sufficient to keep the temperature of the front panel 11 above the due point.

A temperature sensor 16 is provided at the front element 9 and functionally connected to a control 18 for activating the heating elements 14 when the temperature of the front element 9 approaches or even falls below the due point.

One or more heating elements 14 may be provided instead of or in combination with the thermally insulating layer 12. A least one heating element in particular may be embedded into the thermally insulating layer 12. The skilled person easily understands that one or more heating elements 14 may also be provided within the front element 9 which is applied in the first embodiment of the invention, as it is shown in Figure 2.

In an embodiment according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention the two side portions extend basically perpendicularly from the rear wall portion allowing an easy manufacture of the main post.

In an embodiment, in order to reduce the costs for manufacturing the door frame, only the upright post opposite to the upright post at which at least one hinge for supporting the door is provided, is formed with a main body having a constant cross-section including a rear wall portion and two side portions, respectively extending forwardly from the rear wall portion, the rear wall portion and the two side portions being in contact with refrigerated air, and with an front element.

In another embodiment, the upright post opposite to the upright post, at which at least one hinge for supporting the door is provided, the top and the bottom posts are formed with a main body having a constant cross-section including a rear wall portion and two side portions, respectively extending forwardly from the rear wall portion, the rear wall portion and the two side portions being in contact with refrigerated air; and with a front element providing an improved thermal insulation. Such a configuration avoids condensation of ambient moisture on the front face of the top and the bottom posts of the door frame, as well.

In an embodiment the side portion of at least one of the posts, against which the door abuts in its closed state, comprises a side wall portion extending forwardly from the rear wall portion, and a lateral extension extending outwardly from the side wall portion, wherein the front portion of the lateral extension provides a door stop for a rear portion of the door in order to provide a sufficient distance between the warm portions of the posts and the cold portions of the door reducing the transfer of heat from the environment into the refrigerated sales space. In an embodiment the front of the lateral extension extends basically in parallel to the plane of the door which abuts, in its closed state, against the lateral extension.

In an embodiment the door, in its closed state, is situated in a plane which is spaced apart from the front of the respective post increasing the thermal insulation between the door and the respective post.

In an embodiment the side portion further comprises a support member, particularly an inclined support arm, extending between the respective side wall portion, particularly an outer middle portion of the respective side wall portion, and the lateral extension, particularly a rear portion of the lateral extension providing a stable and rigid support of the lateral extension.

In an embodiment the side portion of at least one of the posts, against which the door abuts in its closed state, comprises a side wall portion extending forwardly from the rear wall portion, and the outer face, particularly the front of the outer face of said side wall portion, provides a door stop for a lateral face of the door. Such a configuration provides a simple door stop which is in particular well suited for sliding doors and which is easy to produce at low costs, as no lateral extensions and/or support arms need to be formed. In an embodiment the door is situated, in its closed state, in a plane intersecting a front portion of the respective post providing a refrigerated sales cabinet with a basically planar front face.

In an embodiment the door is formed as a hinged door. A hinged door provides easy and convenient access to the goods stored in the refrigerated sales space. At least one hinge 33 for the door 38 may be provided at one of the posts 32, 32a, 34, 36, in particular close to an upright post 32 next to the post 32 against the side wall portion 4b of the door 38 abuts when it is positioned in its closed state.

In an alternative embodiment the door is formed as a sliding door, which, in its open state, needs less space in front of the refrigerated sales cabinet than a hinged door.

In an embodiment a sealing element is attached to a portion of the door frame, particularly to the respective side portions of the posts, wherein the sealing strip is provided such that its seals the transition between the door frame and the door in an airtight fashion when the door is positioned in its closed state in order to prevent cold air from flowing out of the refrigerated sales space and warm air from flowing into the refrigerated sales space thereby reducing the energy needed for cooling the refrigerated sales space.

In an embodiment a magnetic material, in particular a ferrite strip, is attached to the door, particularly at the position of the outer rear portion or the lateral face of the door facing the sealing element, when the door is positioned in its closed state, in order to hold the door in its closed state with regard to the door frame by magnetic force for preventing cold air from flowing out of the refrigerated sales space and warm air from flowing into the refrigerated sales space thereby reducing the energy needed for cooling the refrigerated sales space.

In an embodiment the main body of at least one of the posts further comprises a support member extending between the two side wall portions in order to enhance the mechanical stability of the main body.

In an embodiment the front element is attached to the support member by means of at least one connection element, which is in particular located in a central area of the support member of the main body, the central area being laterally spaced apart from the two side wall portions in order to minimize the transfer of heat via the connection element.

In an embodiment the width of the area of contact between the front element and the support member provided by the connection element, seen in a cross-sectional view, is less than 10 %, in particular less than 5%, of the width of the support member in order to minimize the transfer of heat via the connection element even further.

In an embodiment the front element is a thermally insulating front element comprising from the side facing the refrigerated sales space to the outer front side of the refrigerated furniture, a rear panel, a front panel forming the front surface of the post, and a thermally insulating layer arranged between the rear panel and the front panel, wherein the thermally insulating layer in particular comprises at least one of a thermally insulating foam, a nano- porous aerogel and/or a vacuum panel. Providing a thermally insulating layer within the thermally insulating front element enhances the thermal insulating properties of the front element and contributes to reduce the risk of condensation at its front side.

Alternatively or additionally at least one heating element, which in particular may be an electric heating element, may provided within or at the front element, allowing to avoid the condensation of moisture from ambient air on the front panel of the front element even under extreme conditions when the thermal insulation of the front element is not sufficient to keep the temperature of the front panel above the due point.

At least one temperature sensor may be provided at the front element to be connected with a control for activating the at least one heating element when the temperature of the front element approaches or even falls below the due point.

In an embodiment said thermally insulating layer is sandwiched between said rear panel and said front panel, and/or said rear panel and said front panel together with two respective side wall strips completely enclose said thermally insulating layer. Such an enclosure within the thermally insulating front element protects the thermally insulating layer from being damaged, e.g. by the doors or clumsy customers hitting the upright post and further allows an easy installation of the thermally insulating layer at the main body of the upright post.

In an embodiment the rear panel and/or the front panel comprise a plastic material, particularly PVC. Plastic and in particular PVC is a cheap material, which is well suited for forming the rear panel and/or the front panel of the front element.

In an embodiment at least a front surface of the front panel and/or a portion of the rear panel are covered with a thermally insulating coating, in particular a coating which employs nano-technology for providing thermal insulation against the main body of the post. Covering the front panel and/or the rear panel at least partially with a thermally insulating coat- ing enhances the thermal insulating properties of the panels and thereby helps to reduce the risk of condensation at the front panel.

In an embodiment the rear panel and the front panel are attached to each other by means of a second snap-on connection comprising a first fastening bracket formed at the support member that engages with a corresponding second fastening bracket formed at the rear side of the front element. A snap-on connection provides a convenient measure for attaching the rear panel to the front panel.

In an embodiment the fastening brackets respectively comprise at least one hook, the hooks of the first and second fastening brackets hooking into each other in order to attach the front element to the main body. The at least one hook of the front element may be provided with an inclined surface facing away from the front element, while the at least one hook of the main body may be provided with an inclined surface facing away from the main body.

In an embodiment the fastening brackets are formed as extruded elements extending along the length of the post. Extrusion provides a cheap and convenient method of forming the fastening brackets.

In an embodiment the snap-on connection is symmetrical with respect to a symmetry plane extending along the length of the post being oriented perpendicular to the plane of the front element. A symmetric snap-on connection is easy to produce and provides a good thermal insulation, as the distance to the cold parts of the main body may be maximized.

In an embodiment the refrigerated sales cabinet comprises two doors and three upright posts, three doors and four upright posts, four doors and five upright posts, five doors and six upright posts, or six doors and seven upright posts, wherein the doors and posts are formed according to at least one of the disclosed embodiments of the invention. This allows adjusting the number of doors of the refrigerated sales cabinet to the actual needs.

While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. List of Reference Numerals

4 main body of a post

4a rear wall portion of a post

4b side wall portion of a post

4c support member of a post

4d inclined lateral portion

5 first hollow space

7a, 7b second hollow spaces

8a, 8b first and second fastening bracket members

9 front element

10 rear panel

10a central portion

10b side wall strips

11 front panel

11a thermally insulating coating

12 thermally insulating material

14 heating element

16 temperature sensor

18 control

20 refrigerated sales cabinet

21 door frame

22 cabinet body

24 roof plate

26 bottom part

27 rear wall

28 shelves

29 refrigerated sales space

30 left side panel

31 right side panel

32 middle upright post

32a lateral upright post

33 hinge

34 top post

35 handle

36 bottom post

38 door

40a inner door panel

40b outer door panel

42 frame element thermally insulating space side portions of a post lateral extension support arm

metal strip

magnetic element or strip sealing element or element

Claims

Claims 1. Refrigerated sales cabinet (20), comprising:

a cabinet body (22) providing a refrigerated sales space (29) for storing goods to be presented therein;

a door frame (21) having a top post (34), a bottom post (36), and at least two upright posts (32, 32a);

wherein at least one of the posts (32, 32a, 34, 36) comprises:

a main body (4) having a constant cross-section including a rear wall portion (4a) and two side portions (46), respectively extending forwardly from the rear wall portion (4a), the rear wall portion (4a) and at least one of the side portions (46) being at least partially in contact with refrigerated air; and

a front element (9) having a front portion (11) which is in contact with warmer ambient air; and

a door (38), which is moveable between an open state providing access to the refrigerated sales space (29) and a closed state shutting the refrigerated sales space (29);

wherein the door (38) is configured to abut, in its closed state, only against a side portion (46) of the at least one of the posts (32, 32a, 34, 36).

2. Refrigerated sales cabinet (20) of claim 1, wherein at least one of the side portions (46) of at least one of the posts (32, 32a, 34, 36), against which the door (38) abuts in its closed state, comprises a side wall portion (4b) extending forwardly from the rear wall portion (4a), and a lateral extension (48) extending outwardly from the side wall portion (4b), the front portion of the lateral extension (48) providing a door stop for an outer rear portion of the door (38).

3. Refrigerated sales cabinet (20) of claim 2, wherein the front of the lateral extension (48) extends basically in parallel to the plane of the door (38) which abuts, in its closed state, against the lateral extension (48).

4. Refrigerated sales cabinet (20) of claim 2 or 3, wherein the door (38), when arranged in its closed position, is situated in a plane which is spaced apart in front of the respective post (32, 32a, 34, 36).

5. Refrigerated sales cabinet (20) of any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the side portion (46) further comprises a support member (50), particularly an inclined support arm (50), extending between the respective side wall portion (4b), particularly an outer middle portion of the respective side wall portion (4b), and the lateral extension (48), particularly a rear portion of the lateral extension (48).

6. Refrigerated sales cabinet (20) of any of claims 2 to 5, further comprising a sealing element (58) attached to the lateral extension (48), the sealing element (58) being provided such that its seals the transition between the door frame (21) and the door (38) in an airtight fashion, when the door (38) is positioned in its closed state.

7. Refrigerated sales cabinet (20) of claim 1, wherein the side portion (46) of at least one of the posts (32, 32a, 34, 36) comprises a side wall portion (4b) extending forwardly from the rear wall portion (4a) against which the door (38) abuts in its closed state.

8. Refrigerated sales cabinet (20) of claim 6, wherein the outer face, particularly the front of the outer face of the side wall portion (4b) provides a door stop for the lateral face of the door and/or wherein the door (38) is situated, in its closed state, in a plane intersecting a front portion of the respective post (32, 32a, 34, 36).

9. Refrigerated sales cabinet (20) of any of the preceding claims, wherein the door (38) is formed as a hinged door, wherein at least one hinge (33) for the door (38) is provided at one of the posts (32, 32a, 34, 36), in particular close to an upright post (32, 32a) next to the post (32, 32a) against the side wall portion (4b) of the door (38) abuts when it is positioned in its closed state.

10. Refrigerated sales cabinet (20) of any of the preceding claims, further comprising a sealing element (58) attached to a portion of the door frame (21), particularly to the respective side wall portions (4b) of the posts (32, 32a, 34, 36), the sealing element (58) being provided such that its seals the transition between the door frame (21) and the door (38) in an airtight fashion, when the door (38) is positioned in its closed state.

11. Refrigerated sales cabinet (20) of claim 10, further comprising a magnetic material (54, 56), in particular a ferrite element or strip (56), attached to the door (38), particularly at the position of the outer rear portion or the lateral face of the door (38) facing the sealing (58), when the door (38) is positioned in its closed state, in order to hold the door (38) in its closed state with regard to the door frame (21) by magnetic force.

12. Refrigerated sales cabinet (20) of any of the preceding claims, wherein the main body (4) of the at least one of the posts (32, 32a, 34, 36) further comprises a support member (4c) extending between the two side wall portions (4b).

13. Refrigerated sales cabinet (20) of claim 12, wherein the front element (9) is attached to the support member (4c) by means of at least one connection element (8a, 8b) located in a central area of the support member (4c) of the main body (4), the central area being laterally spaced apart from the two side wall portions (4b), wherein the at least one connection element (8a, 8b) is provided in the form of a fastening bracket member.

14. Refrigerated sales cabinet (20) of any of the preceding claims, wherein the front element (9) is a thermally insulating front element (9), comprising from the side facing the refrigerated sales space (29) to the outer front side of the refrigerated furniture (20): a rear panel (10), a front panel (11) forming the front surface of the post (32, 32a, 34, 36), and a thermally insulating layer (12) arranged between the rear panel (10) and the front panel

(11) , and wherein the thermally insulating layer (12) in particular comprises at least one of a thermally insulating foam, a nanoporous aerogel and/or a vacuum panel.

15. Refrigerated sales cabinet (20) of claim 14, wherein said thermally insulating layer

(12) is sandwiched between said rear panel (10) and said front panel (11), and/or wherein said rear panel (10) and said front panel (11) together with two respective side wall strips (10b) completely enclose said thermally insulating layer (12).

16. Refrigerated sales cabinet (20) of claim 14 or 15, wherein the rear panel (10) and/or the front panel (11) comprise a plastic material, in particular PVC.

17. Refrigerated sales cabinet (20) of any claims 14 to 16, wherein at least a front surface of the front panel (11) and/or a portion of the rear panel (10) are covered with a thermally insulating coating (11a) in particular a coating (11a) employing nano-technology for providing thermal insulation.

18. Refrigerated sales cabinet (20) of any of the preceding claims, comprising two doors and three upright posts, three doors and four upright posts, four doors and five upright posts, five doors and six upright posts, or six doors and seven upright posts.

19. Refrigerated sales cabinet (20) of any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one heating element (14), in particular an electric heating element (14), is provided within or at the front element (9).

20. Refrigerated sales cabinet (20) of claim 19 further comprising at least one temperature sensor (16) and a control (18) which is functionally connected with the temperature sensor (16) and the at least one heating element (14) for activating the at least one of the heating element (14) when the temperature of the front element (9) approaches or falls below the due point.