Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47F—SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS
  • A47F3/00—Show cases or show cabinets
  • A47F3/04—Show cases or show cabinets air-conditioned, refrigerated
  • A47F3/0482—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
  • A47F3/00—Show cases or show cabinets
  • A47F3/001—Devices for lighting, humidifying, heating, ventilation

Definitions

• the invention relates to installations for diffusing a mist of nebulized liquid droplets onto products.
• the application WO 2009/053579 in the name of the applicant discloses such an installation, serving for example for a showcase of food products in a place of sale.
• An ultrasonic generator produces micro-droplets of water which are then transported in a stream of air to form the fog. Diffusers receive the fog and send it over the products, which preserves their freshness, improves their appearance and promotes their sale. In fact, these micro-droplets evaporate in contact with the products which they thus contribute to cooling. Given their very small size, they do not form any wet deposition on the products.
• This installation forms, for example, a display of exposure to the tide radius of a store, for fish and shellfish.
• certain regulations require that this type of products be offered for sale by being kept at a particularly low temperature.
• this temperature should be between 0 and 2 ° C for whole fish, molluscs, crustaceans cooked or raw or shells decocussed cooked or raw.
• the aforementioned application discloses to lower the temperature of the fog and for this purpose to provide in the installation a heat exchanger which cools the fog using the freshness resulting from the ice on the display and on which rest the products.
• the heat exchanger has a collector for collecting melt water from the ice. A duct through which the fog passes through this melt water to lower the temperature of the fog before its diffusion on the products.
• meltwater thus collected must be evacuated as often as possible or continuously, otherwise it will heat up in contact with the conduit and other elements of the installation. In return, care must be taken to keep enough water in the collector to cool the fog passing through the duct. In practice, it proves difficult to strike a balance between these antagonistic constraints.
• An object of the invention is to facilitate the maintenance of products at the desired temperature.
• a facility for refreshing products comprising:
• At least one fog diffuser arranged to diffuse the fog that is passed against the underside or a mist that includes the gas that is passed against the underside.
• the weight of the ice maintains a direct and close contact between the ice and the wall.
• the ice melts continuously in contact with the wall which serves as a heat exchanger with the mist or gas
• the water is also continuously removed from this face so that the ice can remain in contact with the wall.
• This face therefore remains constantly at the lowest possible temperature, which promotes the cooling of the mist or gas in contact with the opposite face of the wall.
• this accumulation favors by gravity the preservation of the close contact between the ice and the wall.
• the invention thus makes it possible to effectively cool the fog or the gas and the products to the desired temperature without excessive energy expenditure since it is the freshness of the ice which is directly used to cool the fog or the gas. It also reduces the frequency of ice turnover on the display. This reduces the handling and risk of musculoskeletal disorders for staff due to these repetitive and painful operations.
• the invention is well suited for the direct cooling of the fog, the fog being generated, then cooled against the wall and finally spread on the products. But she is also suitable for cooling a gas such as air before this gas is used to generate a fog to be subsequently diffused on products.
• the upper face is inclined, preferably in its longitudinal direction and / or its transverse direction.
• the upper face is horizontal.
• the upper face has water holding cavities, such as cavities.
• melt water is temporarily retained on the wall and increases its contact surface with the wall.
• the wall delimits an enclosure of generally flat shape.
• the wall delimits an enclosure that has at least one water discharge orifice, preferably the enclosure having an end side and two lateral sides each having a water discharge orifice.
• the orifice makes it possible to evacuate the water that may result from condensation of the fog inside the enclosure. Thus most of the enclosure remains available to receive fog and ensure its heat exchange with the wall.
• the orifice is in a side of the enclosure having at least one shaped section for guiding the water towards the orifice.
• Parallel mounting allows a relatively high fog flow rate to be cooled.
• the fog however, remains better cooled at low speed.
• the wall delimits an enclosure which has a generally rectangular shape in plan and at least two bevels engaging one side of the enclosure opposite to one side into which fog inlet and outlet ducts open.
• the installation comprises an external plate and, on the latter, a compartment comprising the wall, preferably a lower face of the compartment being equipped with a non-slip layer.
• the invention can be implemented simply, quickly and inexpensively on an existing installation. It is sufficient to place the compartment on an existing tray, providing fluid communication with the compartment and to cover the entire layer of ice.
• the non-slip layer keeps the compartment on the tray in place despite tilting and moisture.
• the installation comprises a single outer plate forming the wall.
• the compartment is for example located under the display.
• the installation comprises a layer of anti-exudate material forming an upper face of the installation.
• This layer promotes the evacuation of melt water.
• the installation comprises a display of products distinct from the wall.
• the wall separates two compartments located one on the other and forming a reservoir, the means for discharging the water being located at the upper compartment, the means for passing a mist or a gas being located at the level of the lower compartment, the tank being located on the other side of a border with respect to the display.
• the wall is a boundary separating two compartments of a reservoir.
• the tank being distinct from the product display, ice is placed in the upper compartment and the fog or gas is passed into the lower compartment so as to cool it before it is dispersed on the products on a display. located remote from the tank.
• the ice used to cool the mist or gas is therefore in this embodiment separate from the ice used to cool the products.
• the installation further comprises a device producing fog or gas.
• a mist or a gas is passed against a lower face of a wall having an upper surface of generally flat shape and covered with ice, then
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an installation according to one embodiment of the invention
• FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are perspective, top and end views of the compartment of the installation of FIG. 1 without its cover,
• FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cover of the compartment of FIG. 2,
• FIG. 6 is a partial view in vertical section of the installation during its use
• FIG. 7 is a view from above of the compartment of FIG. 2 showing the fog inputs and outputs
• FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 showing an alternative embodiment
• FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the compartment showing another alternative embodiment.
• FIGS. 10 to 12 are views of the installation according to another embodiment respectively in perspective at a reservoir, exploded at this reservoir, and in perspective at the whole of the installation .
• FIGS. 1 to 7 show in an embodiment of the invention a facility 2 for presenting food products. It comprises here a piece of furniture 8 forming in this case a console, a table or a display. In this example, this piece of furniture is used in a place of sale of products.
• the products here are fresh food products that are usually found in the tide department of stores. This is for example fish or shellfish.
• the furniture 8 comprises a frame 14 and a display 10 resting on the frame and which here has a generally rectangular shape in plan.
• the display 10 comprises a flat bottom wall 12 forming an outer plate.
• the display unit is open at the top so that the products can be viewed or taken by the public in the vicinity of the display.
• the display unit for example has a length of 2 meters. As it is a display of fish and crustaceans 15, it is covered with a thick layer of ice 11, visible in Figure 6, on which these products are arranged.
• the display is slightly inclined to better show the products. This inclination also facilitates the flow of water resulting from the gradual melting of the ice to an unillustrated collection port located in the lower part of the wall 12 for its evacuation through an ad hoc conduit.
• the cabinet 8 comprises means for the diffusion of a fog 37 of nebulized water droplets, above the products and up to them in order to preserve the freshness.
• the furniture comprises diffusers 16, in this case four in number. They extend here each at the top of the display, near its rear edge. They are oriented to spread the fog on the display.
• the diffusers 16 are identical to each other. In the present example, each diffuser is at the end of a respective rod having a shaped circular section, the diffuser having a single orifice at its free end.
• diffusers each have an adjustable orientation in rotation about a horizontal axis to modify the inclination. They are also rotatably mounted relative to the frame about a vertical axis.
• the orifices of the diffusers are located at height, for example, approximately 0.3 meters from the top of the products to be moistened, ie approximately 0.5 meters from the bottom of the display, but this depends on the actual height of the products.
• the installation may also comprise diffusers located on strips 30 which form the periphery of the display unit, surrounding the wall 12 on all sides.
• the frame includes equipment for generating the mist 37 of water droplets and its routing to each of the diffusers.
• a fog generator 34 comprises one or more ultrasonic transmitters 36 equipped for example with an acoustic concentration nozzle for the production of micro-droplets of water which are then placed suspended in a stream of air to form the fog.
• a generator is known in itself, especially from FR-2 788 706 also incorporated by reference, and will not be described here further.
• the mist thus produced comprises microdroplets whose dimensions are between 0.2 and 50 ⁇ m, preferably between 2 and 5 ⁇ m. Preferably, a majority of droplets or even 95% of them have a larger dimension of less than 5 ⁇ m. It is also possible to use droplet technology using a micro-perforated membrane.
• the installation comprises ducts 13 by means of which the fog produced by the generator is conveyed to the diffusers 16 from which it leaves the installation.
• the assembly is controlled by means of a housing comprising automated means and for controlling and adjusting the operation of the furniture.
• the housing allows in particular to adjust the ventilation speed, that is to say the air speed forming part of the fog, the nebulization power and other parameters of the machine (cycle, safety thresholds, etc.). ).
• the installation comprises a compartment 40 delimited by two main walls respectively upper 42 and lower 44. These walls are flat, parallel to each other and extend at a distance from each other to provide a space for passage between them fog.
• the upper wall 42 has an upper face 43 and a lower face 45 both flat and parallel to each other. It is the same for the lower wall 44.
• the compartment is also delimited by four walls that form the sides of the compartment and by two bevels. These are the upper rear 46, lower front 48 and side 50 and 52 bevels. These sides maintain the upper and lower walls at a distance from each other.
• the two main walls, the sides and the bezels delimit in the compartment a closed enclosure 54.
• the compartment and this enclosure each have a generally flat shape. In plan view, their general shape would be that of a rectangle if the bevels 52 which start two corners of the rectangle were absent. These bevels provide the junction between the lateral sides 50 and before 48.
• the rear side 46 extends in a horizontal transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction corresponding to the plane of symmetry of the installation.
• the front side is formed by two rectilinear sections forming in this case an obtuse angle, for example of 176 °.
• a nipple 56 has an orifice communicating the outside and the inside of the compartment.
• the angle a is measured on the side of the enclosure and has its top at this orifice.
• Each lateral side 50 forms with the adjacent bevel 52 an obtuse angle b, for example 133 °.
• This arrangement makes it possible to use the same compartment in an installation which has an inclination not in its longitudinal direction but in its transverse direction. Indeed, the condensates generated inside the enclosure can then be evacuated on the side of the compartment by the nipple 56.
• the compartment can be arranged horizontally and provide water drain holes in the bottom wall 44.
• the compartment has in this case three inner walls 60, 62 extending from one to the other of the lower and upper walls. These three walls are rectilinear, extend parallel to the longitudinal direction of the display, at a distance from each other and all from the rear side 46 without reaching the bevels and the front side 48. They all have faces main vertical planes. Among them there is a middle wall 60 extending along the plane of symmetry of the compartment and two side walls 62 extending midway from the medial wall 60 and one of the lateral sides 50.
• These walls define with the sides and bevels of the compartment four sections 64, 66 for the passage of fog.
• These sections have a generally sectional shape rectangular section, and are straight and parallel to each other over most of their length.
• the sections 64 are each delimited by a side 50 and a wall 62.
• the sections 66 are each delimited by a wall 62 and the medial wall 60. They each extend from the rear side 46.
• the wall 62 being interrupted before arriving at the bevel 52, each section 64 is in communication in front of this wall with the adjacent section 66.
• the sections 66 are in communication with each other at the front of the median wall 60.
• the compartment comprises in this case two fog inlet ducts 68 and two fog outlet ducts 70. These four ducts are identical to each other and each put in communication the upper rear end of a respective one of the sections with the fog. outside the compartment through the rear side 46.
• the inlet ducts 68 are here closest to the sides 50 and the outlet ducts 70 closest to the median wall 60. As illustrated in particular in Figure 1, the conduits 68 are connected by conduits 13 to the fog generator 34 while the outlet ducts 70 are connected by conduits 13 to the diffusers 16.
• the upper wall 42 is formed in this case by a removable cover that provides access to the entire compartment for inspection and cleaning.
• the upper wall 42 also carries welded abutments 72, 74 which project from its lower face and allow this wall to fit over the rest of the compartment 40 by preventing it from slipping. They also delimit with the edge of the wall handles that facilitate its grip.
• the display 12, as well as the compartment 40 is preferably made of metal, for example stainless steel.
• the compartment occupies only part of the upper face of the wall 12 of the display. In particular, he is not in contact with any of the lateral and longitudinal edges of this wall. It is positioned mainly in the upper half of this wall in the present example. Most of this wall remains available for ice and food products. The installation works and is used as follows.
• the generator 34 produces a mist of water microdroplets placed in suspension in a stream of air.
• This fog is transported through the conduits 13 and the ducts 68 into the chamber 54. It thus passes through the rear upper side 46 to reach the sections 64. It travels these simultaneously and goes up the sections 66 to exit through the conduits 70.
• the ducts 13 situated upstream of the compartment with reference to the fog flow form a parallel assembly as well as the sections 64 as well as the sections 66. These are therefore two streams of fog that cross simultaneously the enclosure and this independently of one another. During this crossing and given the small thickness of the enclosure whose width and length each exceed ten times the thickness, the fog comes into contact with the lower face 45 of the upper wall 42 on which rests directly the ice cream.
• the fog is cooled as it travels through the enclosure. Downstream of the outlet ducts 70, it is conveyed by other conduits 13 to the diffusers 16. It leaves the installation by them to be broadcast on the products 15.
• the compartment therefore forms a heat exchanger between the ice and the fog.
• the plate 42 is sandwiched between the ice layer above and the enclosure below. This exchange causes the progressive melting of the ice. Given the inclination of the upper face of the compartment, the melt water continuously flows out of this face on the wall 12 and out of the installation. Ice 11 therefore remains in direct contact with the compartment. If to compensate for the melting of the ice is added to the existing layer after removing the products 15, the weight of the ice preserves a close contact between the latter and the face 43.
• the amount of ice on a stall is such that the layer has a thickness of up to 40 cm and is 400 kg per square meter.
• the nipple 56 also on the wall 12.
• the installation operates in a cycle alternating phase of nebulization and stopping phase. For example, one can alternate periods of 20 seconds during which fog is generated and diffused on the products and periods of 10 seconds of stop. This shutdown period offers a sort of "breathing" phase to the products during which cold air accumulates above them. When the diffusion of the fog is resumed, this layer of air at low temperature is evacuated by being pushed by the fog that spreads over the products.
• the compartment is simply placed on the plate 12. To better immobilize it, we can endow the upper face of it with a non-slip layer. It is also possible to equip at least part of the wall 12 with an anti-exudate material which facilitates the flow of water.
• the compartment extends inside the table and that the wall 12 itself forms the upper wall of the compartment.
• FIG. 9 Another variant embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 9. This time, the upper face 43 of the upper wall 42 of the compartment, while remaining generally flat, has cavities 76 such as cavities which make it possible to retain more water on the wall to further promote the cooling of fog or gas.
• the cells 76 have for example a sphere portion shape.
• the temperature of the fog allows the temperature of the fog to be reduced from 23 ° to 7 ° C, ie a drop of 16 ° C, maintaining such a performance for the entire duration of use of the installation, for example a day.
• it makes it possible to pass the temperature at the heart of the products from 9 ° C. to 2 ° C., ie a decrease of 7 °.
• the installation gives a better appearance to the products on the stall. Especially the fish are brighter and look cooler.
• the facility increases the shelf life of the products and reduces the loss of products. This loss occurs if the condition of the products is degraded so that they become unsaleable.
• the invention can easily be implemented on existing stands or displays. It is easily removable, especially for cleaning.
• the invention does not require prior cooling of the air used to generate the fog and can be used for this purpose use ambient air for example at 15 or 20 ° C. This is a substantial advantage because a such cooling is difficult and expensive to implement. In addition, it is inefficient to output fog at low temperature.
• FIG. 8 illustrates an alternative arrangement of these ducts. This time, the inlet ducts 68 are disposed in the left half of the compartment when viewed in plan, the outlet ducts 70 extending in the right half.
• the installation does not necessarily form a piece of furniture. It can be used in a place of storage or production. It can constitute a manufacturing facility and / or packaging.
• the installation can also be used for disinfecting or humidifying products or volumes, for example products circulating on a carpet, especially on a production line or packaging.
• the ice can be used to cool the fog without receiving products itself, the fog being diffused on products located elsewhere.
• This other embodiment is illustrated in Figures 10 to 12. They illustrate a reservoir 20 having two compartments 21 and 22 located one on the other and separated by a wall 23 of generally planar shape. This wall 23 is set back upwards from the lower edges 24 of the upper compartment 21. It separates the upper compartment 21, which is open on top, of the lower compartment 22.
• the reservoir 20 has a tubular inlet 25 located on a side face of the reservoir at the lower compartment 22, and the upper compartment 21 has a circular cutout 82 so that the inlet 25 is partly located in the lateral face of the upper compartment 21, and so that the inlet 25 opens flush with the wall
• the tank 20 also comprises two tubular outlets 26 and 27 located in the upper compartment 21 and extending vertically upwardly on one side, opening into the lower compartment 22 via two orifices. 28 and 29 on the other. In addition, these outlets are located at an edge of the tank opposite to that having the tubular inlet 25. From the front, the reservoir 20 further comprises a small tubular outlet 31 and a large tubular outlet 32, both of which are located at the upper compartment 21.
• the small outlet 31 is located in height, while the outlet 32 is flush with the flat wall 23.
• Ice 101 is placed in the upper compartment 21.
• This mirror 101 is in contact with the plane wall 23 at its upper face.
• Fog or gas 102 is introduced through the inlet 25 so that the gas or mist flows flush with the flat wall 23 within the lower compartment 22.
• the gas / mist 102 flows along the wall 23, so that it is cooled by the ice 101 located on the other side in contact with the wall, then enters through the orifices 28 and 29 in the tubular outlets 26 and 27.
• the other part continues to be cooled along the wall 23.
• the pipes 26 and 27 through the upper compartment 21 and thus the ice 101 disposed in so that the fog is maintained at low temperature. As can be seen in FIG.
• the gas / mist 102 comes from a nebulizing device 61 intended for the inlet 25 of the tank, while at the outlet the cooled gas / mist 102 leaves the outlets 26 and 27 to fog diffusers 91 and 92, which diffuse the fog on products placed on a stand 93.
• the reservoir 20 is fixed under the stand 93, below it. It extends opposite an outer lower face of the display, at a distance from the latter. It can be attached to any other place, for example on the other side of a border of the display 93.
• the reservoir 20 is open on top, it is easy to deposit ice in the upper compartment 21. But we can imagine that it is possible to close it.
• the large tubular outlet 32 located flush with the wall 23 is used. Normally closed, this outlet allows to drain the upper compartment and evacuate the melt water. Without emptying, the water called "overflow" is discharged through the small tubular outlet 31.
• Fixing between the two compartments can be achieved by any removable fastening means, such as latches.
• the ice used to cool the fog is therefore separate from the ice used to keep the products cool, and even if necessary, it can be dispensed with.
• Variations can be imagined, such as the integration of the nebulizing device 61 with the reservoir 20. It is also possible to imagine the integration of the reservoir 20 within the nebulization device 61.
• the large tubular outlet 32 is not closed but left open normally.
• the wall 23 in contact with the ice 101 continuously discharges the melt water through the outlet 32 located flush with the wall 23, similarly to the operation of the first embodiment described in which the wall 42 evacuates the melt water continuously.
• the invention is also useful for other fresh food products such as fruits, vegetables or meat. It is particularly suitable for pre-cut fruits and vegetables. It is also applicable to food products such as cheese and more generally to any product sensitive to drying, for example flowers.
• the mist of droplets can be formed from a liquid containing a biocide.

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• 2014
  • 2014-11-19 FR FR1461175A patent/FR3028400B1/fr active Active
• 2015
  • 2015-11-19 WO PCT/FR2015/053127 patent/WO2016079434A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2015-11-19 EP EP15805597.0A patent/EP3220780B1/de active Active

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