EP3393307B1 - Refrigerated sales furniture - Google Patents
Refrigerated sales furniture Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP3393307B1 EP3393307B1 EP16795390.0A EP16795390A EP3393307B1 EP 3393307 B1 EP3393307 B1 EP 3393307B1 EP 16795390 A EP16795390 A EP 16795390A EP 3393307 B1 EP3393307 B1 EP 3393307B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- refrigerated sales
- door
- flow
- furniture
- warm air
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Active
Links
- 239000003570 air Substances 0.000 claims description 208
- 239000012080 ambient air Substances 0.000 claims description 15
- 239000000853 adhesive Substances 0.000 claims description 13
- 230000001070 adhesive effect Effects 0.000 claims description 13
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 6
- 230000005494 condensation Effects 0.000 claims description 5
- 238000009833 condensation Methods 0.000 claims description 5
- 238000005057 refrigeration Methods 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 description 27
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 8
- 239000000872 buffer Substances 0.000 description 4
- 125000006850 spacer group Chemical group 0.000 description 4
- 230000007423 decrease Effects 0.000 description 3
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000009413 insulation Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000003068 static effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000012546 transfer Methods 0.000 description 3
- XKRFYHLGVUSROY-UHFFFAOYSA-N Argon Chemical compound [Ar] XKRFYHLGVUSROY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 238000013016 damping Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000013461 design Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000001133 acceleration Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910052786 argon Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000005452 bending Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000009286 beneficial effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007599 discharging Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005265 energy consumption Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000000465 moulding Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005096 rolling process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000013022 venting Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47F—SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS
- A47F3/00—Show cases or show cabinets
- A47F3/04—Show cases or show cabinets air-conditioned, refrigerated
- A47F3/0404—Cases or cabinets of the closed type
- A47F3/0408—Cases or cabinets of the closed type with forced air circulation
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47F—SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS
- A47F3/00—Show cases or show cabinets
- A47F3/04—Show cases or show cabinets air-conditioned, refrigerated
- A47F3/0404—Cases or cabinets of the closed type
- A47F3/0426—Details
- A47F3/043—Doors, covers
Definitions
- the invention relates to refrigerated sales furniture, in particular to refrigerated sales furniture comprising at least one door and at least one warm air channel, which is configured to reduce the risk of condensation at the at least one door.
- refrigerated sales furniture may be equipped with doors, in particular glass doors, establishing a separation between a refrigerated space inside the furniture and the warm environment outside the furniture.
- doors in particular glass doors
- a common problem with this kind of refrigerated sales furniture is that condensate forms on the lower portion of the doors. This is undesirable and should be avoided.
- US 5 214 877 A discloses a refrigerator door assembly with venting system comprising a vent plate attached to the bottom frame member of a door mounting frame of an insulated door assembly of a refrigerator unit.
- the vent plate includes passages which enable ambient air to be drawn into the cabinet of the refrigerator unit at a controlled location in order to avoid frost build up.
- such refrigerated sales furniture comprises: a furniture body providing a refrigerated sales space for storing products to be presented therein; at least one access area providing access to the refrigerated sales space; at least one door which is pivotally or slidably supported by upper and lower portions of a door support frame at the at least one access area and which is movable between a closed position closing the at least one access area and at least one open position allowing access to the refrigerated sales space via the at least one access area; a return air opening which is provided at a bottom of the refrigerated sales space next to the at least one door for receiving a flow of cold air flowing substantially vertically in a downward direction in at least a lower front portion of the refrigerated sales space; a deflection element, which is fixed to an inner surface of the at least one door for deflecting the flow of cold air, and at least one warm air channel extending from a front side of the refrigerated sales furniture into the refrigerated sales furniture and
- the at least one warm air channel comprises an outer portion extending below the at least one door and an inner portion extending between a portion of the deflection element and an upper end of a stopper bar provided at the lower portion of the door support frame.
- the refrigerated sales furniture is configured such that the flow of warm air is sucked through the at least one warm air channel by the flow of cold air and is merged with said flow of cold air.
- the warm air channel further comprises an intermediate portion, extending basically vertically between the rear side of the lowermost portion of the at least one door and a front side portion of a stopper bar at the lower door frame portion, and fluidly connecting the inner and outer portions of the warm air channel.
- Exemplary embodiments of the invention further include a method of reducing the risk of formation of undesired condensate on the outer surface of a door of such refrigerated sales furniture, wherein the method comprises the steps of providing a flow of cold air flowing substantially vertically in a downward direction in at least a lower front portion of the refrigerated sales space next to the inside of a lower portion of the at least one door into a return air opening provided at the bottom of the refrigerated sales space and deflecting the flow of cold air by means of the deflection element in order to suck warm air from an area in front of the refrigerated sales furniture into the refrigerated sales furniture through the warm air channel, when the door is in closed position to increase the temperature at a lower portion of the at least one door, the flow of warm air merging with the flow of cold air.
- the convective heat transfer on the lower portion of the outer surface of the door is increased by generating a flow of warm air along the lower portion of the door.
- Said flow of warm air causes an increase of the temperature at a lower portion of the outer surface of the door. This helps keeping the temperature of said lower portion over the dew point temperature of the ambient air in order to keep the door free from undesired condensate.
- the inner and outer portions of the warm air channel extend along an axis which is oriented basically horizontally, and the intermediate portion extends along an axis which is oriented basically vertically.
- the mechanical structure elements of the lower part of the door are almost surrounded by ambient air or the warm air flowing within the warm air channel and not by cold air.
- the flow of warm air is generated without employing additional fans, but simply by forming a warm air channel below the door, in particular within a door abutment profile, and generating a local low pressure (underpressure) at the outlet of said warm air channel with help of the deflection element according to Bernoulli's principle using the flow of cold air induced by the fan(s) already present in the furniture.
- a benefit of the exemplary embodiments of the invention is the simplicity with which the problem of undesired condensate forming at a lower portion of the door can be solved without the need to modify the design of the door or adding new active components such as additional electrical heaters or fans.
- the exemplary embodiments of the invention reliably avoid the problem of undesired condensate formation, in particular in refrigerated sales furniture in which a cold air curtain is flowing next to the door(s).
- the exemplary embodiments of the invention reliably avoid the problem of undesired condensate formation even if thermal bridges caused by a glass spacer element, the door frame, hinges and other solid elements of the door assuring the mechanical structure of the door are present, and despite the fact that the edges of the doors, particularly the lower portion of the doors, constitute an intrinsic weakness of the thermal insulation.
- the exemplary embodiments of the invention reliably avoid the problem of undesired condensate formation although an enhanced heat transfer occurs on the inner surface of the door due to the local air flow acceleration taking place at the return air grille, which is provided inside the refrigerated sales furniture.
- exemplary embodiments of the invention can replace other conceivable ways for maintaining the temperature in the lower portion of the door above the dew point temperature that include improving the thermal resistance of the door edge design and/or using an air baffle for avoiding the cold air from contacting the door directly.
- exemplary embodiments of the invention can also be provided in addition thereto.
- FIG. 1 depicts a schematic sectional view of a refrigerated sales furniture 10 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention.
- the refrigerated sales furniture 10 comprises a furniture body 1 defining a refrigerated sales space 28 which is configured for storing products (not shown) to be presented therein.
- a plurality of shelves or racks 22 which are configured for accommodating and supporting said products, are provided on top of each other within the refrigerated sales space 28.
- An evaporator 2 which is part of a refrigeration circuit, is provided at the bottom of the refrigerated sales furniture 10 below the refrigerated sales space 28. Additional components of the refrigeration circuit, such as a compressor, a condenser and an expansion device, which are not shown in Figure 1 , may be provided within the refrigerated sales furniture 10 as well. Alternatively, one or more of these components may be located outside the refrigerated sales furniture 10, for example in a machine room or on the outside/on the roof of the building (not shown) housing the refrigerated sales furniture 10.
- An access area 11 provided at the front side of the refrigerated sales space 28 may be closed by means of a door 8, in particular a glass door, which is pivotally supported by upper and lower portions 6a, 6b of a door support frame and upper and lower hinges 7.
- the refrigerated sales furniture 10 may be equipped with two or more doors 8 including sliding doors mounted on ball bearings rolling on rails.
- Elastic buffers 13 are arranged between the door 8 and stopper bars 12 located at the upper and lower portions 6a, 6b of a door support frame for damping the impact of the door 8 onto the stopper bars 12 when the door 8 is being closed and for maintaining a defined gap between the door 8 and the stopper bars 12.
- a sealing lip 9 is provided between the stopper bar 12 formed at the upper portion 6a of door support frame and the door 8. The skilled person will understand that with a sealing lip 9 provided between the stopper bar 12 and the door 8, the buffer 13 provided at the top portion 6a of the door support frame is optional.
- a return air duct 26 extending basically along a horizontal axis is formed between a return air opening 34 located at the bottom of the refrigerated sales space 28 and an inlet side of the evaporator 2, which is the right side of the evaporator 2 in the exemplary configuration shown in Figure 1 .
- the return air duct 26 houses a fan 3 which is configured to suck air from the refrigerated sales space 28 through the return air opening 34 into the return air duct 26 and to deliver said air to the evaporator 2 where it is cooled.
- the return air opening 34 is covered by a return air grille 4 for preventing goods and other objects from falling into the return air duct 26.
- Cooled air leaving the evaporator 2 (on its left side in the exemplary configuration shown in Figure 1 ) is delivered into a vertical cold air duct 24 extending vertically along the back side 29 of the refrigerated sales space 28.
- the vertical cold air duct 24 may be provided with at least one cold air opening 30 for delivering cold air from the vertical cold air duct 24 into the refrigerated sales space 28.
- a horizontal cold air duct 25 may be fluidly connected with the upper end of the vertical cold air duct 24 for delivering cold air from the vertical cold air duct 24 to the front side of the refrigerated sales space 28.
- a front side end of the horizontal cold air duct 25 is provided with an air discharge opening 5 for discharging cold air from the horizontal cold air duct 25 into an upper front area of the refrigerated sales space 28.
- Cold air which is discharged through the air discharge opening 5 into the upper front area of the refrigerated sales space 28 provides a flow of cold air (“cold air curtain") C flowing basically vertically from the top to the bottom of the refrigerated sales space 28 along the inside of the door 8 facing the refrigerated sales space 28.
- Said flow of cold air C reduces the temperature of the door 8.
- the temperature of the outer surface of the door 8 facing the outside of the refrigerated sales furniture 10 drops below the dew point temperature of ambient air A
- undesired condensate from ambient air A will form on the outside of the door 8.
- a warm air channel 18 extending from the exterior into a lower portion of the refrigerated sales space 28 is provided.
- a flow of relatively warm ambient air W flowing through said warm air channel 18 increases the temperature of the mechanical structure elements of the door 8 in an area located at the lower portion of the door 8. This reduces the risk that the temperature of said lower portion of the door 8 falls below the dew point temperature of ambient air A and that undesired condensate is forming.
- Figure 2 shows an enlarged view of a lower portion of the front side of the refrigerated sales furniture 10, in particular of the area around the lower portion of the door 8.
- the door 8 in particular is an insulating glass door 8 comprising an inner glass pane 8a facing the refrigerated sales space 28 and an outer glass pane 8c facing the outside of the refrigerated sales furniture 10.
- the outer glass pane 8c is spaced apart from the inner glass pane 8a by means of a glass spacer element 8d.
- an insulating cavity 8b which in particular may be filled with a thermally insulating gas such as argon or which may be evacuated to a vacuum, is formed between the inner and the outer glass panes 8a, 8c for providing thermal insulation.
- a lower door hinge 7 comprising a frame side hinge element 7a and a door side hinge element 7b, which are pivotably connected by means of a connecting element 7c, pivotably supports the door 8 at a lower portion 6b of the door support frame.
- a stopper bar 12 extends vertically from the lower portion 6b of the support frame at a position higher than the lower edge of door 8.
- a deflection element 20 is attached to the inner glass pane 8a of the glass door 8 at a height slightly above the upper end of the stopper bar 12.
- the warm air channel 18 extends from the exterior into a lower portion of the refrigerated sales space 28 and comprises an outer portion 18a provided between the underside of the at least one door 8 in its closed position and an upper side of the lower portion 6b of the door support frame, an adjacent intermediate portion 18b extending between the inner glass pane 8a and the stopper bar 12, and an inner portion 18c extending between an upper edge of the stopper bar 12 and a lower first plane surface 20a of the deflection element 20 attached to the door 8.
- the inner and outer portions 18a, 18c of the warm air channel 18 extend along an axis which is oriented basically horizontally, and the intermediate portion 18b extends along an axis which is oriented basically vertically.
- the solid elements of the lower part of the door 8 are almost surrounded by ambient air or the warm air flow W flowing through the warm air channel 18 instead of cold air.
- at least one of the inner, intermediate and outer portions 18a, 18b, 18c of the warm air channel 18 may be oriented at a non-orthogonal angle with respect to a horizontally or vertically extending axis.
- the deflection element 20 which in particular may extend over the whole width of the at least one door 8, is provided with a lower first plane surface 20a facing the upper end of the stopper bar 12 thereby defining the inner portion 18c of the warm air channel 18.
- the deflection element 20 further comprises a second plane surface 20b which is attached, e.g. by means of an adhesive, in particular an adhesive strip, to the inner glass pane 8a, and a third surface 20c facing the refrigerated sales space 28.
- Said third surface 20c may be an inclined plane surface.
- said third surface 20c may be an arcuate surface as shown in Figure 2 .
- the deflecting element 20 may have a height of 10 mm to 20 mm, in particular a height of 15 mm.
- the height H 2 of the inner portion 18c of the warm air channel 18 may be between 2 mm to 10 mm, in particular a height H 2 of 4 mm.
- the height H 1 of the outer portion 18a of the warm air channel 18 may be between 5 mm and 10 mm, in particular between 6 mm and 8 mm.
- the width D of the intermediate portion 18b of the warm air channel 18 may be between 3 mm and 10 mm, in particular between 4 mm and 6 mm.
- the deflection element 20 in particular the inclined or arcuate third surface 20c of the deflection element 20, deflects the basically vertically flowing cold air flow C, which flows basically parallel to the surface of the inner glass pane 8a. This deflection prevents cold air from the cold air flow C from flowing out of the refrigerated sales space 28 via the warm air channel 18.
- the deflection caused by the deflection element 20 further results in a reduction of the width of the space which is available for the flow of cold air C.
- Said reduction of the available space acts as a nozzle which causes the speed of the flow of cold air C to increase.
- Said increase of the speed of the flow of cold air C causes a decrease of the static pressure in a low pressure area 36 located within the refrigerated sales space 28 next to the deflection element 20 and the stopper bar 12.
- Said decrease of static pressure results in a pressure difference between said low pressure area 36 and the warm air channel 18. In consequence, warm air W is sucked through the at least one warm air channel 18 into the refrigerated sales space 28.
- the temperature of the lower part of the glass door 8 including the door side hinge element 7b, mechanical structure elements of the door, which are not visible in the figures as they are located behind the hinge element 7b, glass spacer element 8d and in particular the lower portion 8e of the outer glass pane 8c is increased. This makes it easier to maintain the temperature of this area above the dew point temperature of ambient air A, considerably reducing the risk of undesired condensate formation in this area.
- the warm air W which has been drawn into the refrigerated sales space 28, merges with the flow of cold air C and is sucked through the return air opening 34 into a return air duct 26 provided below the refrigerated sales space 28. Via the return air duct 26 the warm air W is delivered to the evaporator 2, which is not shown in Figure 2 , where it is refrigerated before it is delivered back into the refrigerated sales space 28 as illustrated in Figure 1 .
- Figure 3 shows an enlarged view of a lower portion of a front side of a refrigerated sales furniture 10 according to a second exemplary embodiment which in particular comprises a different type of deflection element 21.
- An enlarged sectional view of said deflection element 21 according to the second exemplary embodiment is shown in Figure 4 .
- the deflection element 21 shown in Figures 3 and 4 has the form of a thin profile, which e.g. may be made of sheet metal or plastic.
- the deflection element 21 comprises a straight central portion 21b extending parallel to the inner surface of the inner glass pane 8a of the at least one door 8 when the deflection element 21 is attached to the at least one door 8.
- the straight central portion 21b may be attached to the inner glass pane 8a of the at least one door 8 by means of an adhesive, e.g. an adhesive strip 23 (see Figure 4 ), which is provided between the straight central portion 21b and the inner glass pane 8a.
- the deflection element 21 further comprises a lower fixing portion 21c extending basically orthogonally from the straight central portion 21b.
- the lower fixing portion 21c in particular extends basically horizontally along the lower edge of the at least one door 8 when the deflection element 21 is mounted to the at least one door 8.
- the lower fixing portion 21c may be fixed to the lower edge of the at least one door 8 by means of an adhesive, e.g. an adhesive strip, which is not shown in the figures.
- the deflection element 21 also comprises an upper deflecting portion 21a extending from the straight central portion 21b on a side opposite to the lower fixing portion 21c.
- the upper deflecting portion 21a extends into the refrigerated sales space 28 when the deflection element 21 is mounted to the inner surface of the at least one door 8 as illustrated in Figure 3 .
- the upper deflecting portion 21a has a lower tip 21d.
- the lower tip 21d protrudes into the cabinet relatively to an inner surface 12a of the stopper bar 12 and extends downwardly into the refrigerated sales space 28.
- a horizontal distance L between the lower tip 21d of the upper deflecting portion 21a and the inner surface 12a of the stopper bar 12 may be in the range from 1 mm to 5 mm, particularly from 2 mm to 3 mm.
- Such a protrusion associated with the downward orientation causes condensate forming on the lower side of the upper deflecting portion 21a to flow and drop downwardly into the return air duct 26 provided at the bottom of the refrigerated sales space 28.
- the upper deflecting portion 21 has a basically arcuate shape with a radius R (see Figure 4 ) of 10 mm to 20 mm, in particular a radius R of 13 to 15 mm.
- the upper deflecting portion 21a may be straight but inclined with respect to the plane of the at least one door 8.
- a smaller portion of a circle i.e. a portion extending over an angle of less than 90° and having a larger radius R, may be used.
- the upper deflecting portion 21a may comprise a plurality of differently, in particular progressively, inclined straight portions 19a, 19b, 19c which are arranged adjacent to each other resulting in a buckled shape of the upper deflecting portion 21a which overall is similar to the arcuate shape shown in Figure 4 .
- the lower tip 21d of the upper deflecting portion 21a may end at a height H 2 of 2 mm to 10 mm, in particular at a height H 2 of 4 mm above an upper edge 12b of the stopper bar 12.
- the deflecting element 21 extends basically over the whole width of the at least one door 8 and may have a height h of 30 mm to 40 mm, in particular a height of 35 mm.
- the height H 2 of the inner portion 18c of the warm air channel 18 may be between 2 mm to 10 mm, in particular a height H 2 of 4 mm.
- the height H 1 of the outer portion 18a of the warm air channel 18 may be between 5 mm and 10 mm, in particular between 6 mm and 8 mm.
- the width D of the intermediate portion 18b of the warm air channel 18 may be between 3 mm and 10 mm, in particular between 4 mm and 6 mm.
- the upper deflecting portion 21a deflects the flow of cold air C flowing along the front portion of the refrigerated sales space 28 similar to the third surface 20c of the deflection element 20 shown in Figures 1 and 2 .
- the effect of sucking a flow of warm air W into the refrigerated sales space 28 along a lower portion of the at least one door 8 for avoiding condensation is the same as it has been described before with reference to Figures 1 and 2 .
- a deflection element 21 according to the second embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4 is easy to produce at low costs, e.g. by extruding a plastic material or by bending / roller molding an appropriate sheet of metal.
- the lower fixing portion 21c of the deflection element 21 defines a mounting position of the deflection element 21 in the vertical direction. It particularly defines the vertical position of the upper deflecting portion 21a with respect to the lower edge of the at least one door 8. Consequently, this enables to control the position of the upper deflecting portion 21a relatively to the other parts and especially the vertical distance H 2 left open between lower tip 21d of the upper deflecting portion 21a and the upper edge 12b of stopper bar 12. As a result, the deflection element 21 according to the second embodiment may be mounted in the correct position easily and with high reliability.
- the substantially vertical portion has a width of 3 mm to 10 mm, particularly a width of 4 mm or 6 mm.
- a width in said range has proven to provide the air flow rate needed to avoid condensation at the lower portion of the at least one door without unreasonably increasing the depth of the lower portion of the door support frame including the stopper bar.
- the deflection element comprises a central portion extending parallel to the inner surface of the at least one door, a lower fixing portion extending along the lower edge of the at least one door, and an upper deflecting portion which extends from the inner surface of the at least one door into the refrigerated sales space.
- the central portion and the lower fixing portion in particular may extend orthogonally with respect to each other.
- a deflection element having such a configuration is easy to produce and to mount on the door at low costs.
- the lower fixing portion ensures an exact positioning of the deflection element at the door.
- the upper deflecting portion has a low tip, which protrudes into the cabinet relatively to the inner surface of the stopper bar and is oriented downwardly into the refrigerated sales space.
- a horizontal distance between the lower tip of the upper deflecting portion and an inner surface of the stopper bar may be in the range of 1 mm to 5 mm, in particular in the range of 2 mm to 3 mm.
- Such an upper deflecting portion allows condensate forming on the lower side of the upper deflecting portion to flow and drop downwardly into a return air duct provided at the bottom of the refrigerated sales space. It further allows for an efficient deflection of the flow of cold air flowing basically vertically along the front of the refrigerated sales space.
- the upper deflecting portion has an arcuate shape, in particular an arcuate shape having a radius of 10 mm to 20 mm, more particular a radius of 13 to 15 mm.
- the lower end of the upper deflecting portion may end 2 mm to 10 mm, in particular 4 mm, above a higher edge of the stopper bar.
- a gap in said range has proven as to be efficient to avoid condensation at the lower portion of the at least one door without unreasonably increasing the energy consumption of the refrigerated sales furniture due to the warm air being sucked into the refrigerated sales space.
- the deflection element may have a height of 30 mm to 40 mm, in particular a height of 35 mm. In an alternative configuration the deflection element may have a height of 10 mm to 20 mm, in particular a height of 15 mm. Such configurations allow for a proper deflection of the flow of cold air flowing basically vertically along the front of the refrigerated sales space and for an efficient suction of ambient air through the warm air channel.
- the upper deflecting portion extending into the refrigerated sales space is configured such that an outlet surface of the warm air channel into the refrigerated sales space, which is formed between the lower tip of the upper deflecting portion and a higher edge of the stopper bar is oriented substantially parallel with respect to the direction of flow of the flow of cold air.
- An outlet surface of the warm air channel which is oriented substantially parallel to the main direction of flow of cold air reduces the dynamic pressure component generated by the flow of cold air acting at said outlet surface, particularly close to zero. This decreases the pressure acting at said outlet surface close to its minimum, which is equal to the static pressure.
- such a configuration provides a low pressure at said outlet surface close to the lowest pressure which is possible for a given velocity of the flow of cold air and, therefore, an efficient suction of warm air flowing through the warm air channel.
- the deflection element extends over the whole width of the at least one door in order to prevent cold air flowing basically vertically along the front of the refrigerated sales space from entering into the warm air channel and in order to provide a flow of warm air into the refrigerated sales space over the whole width of the at least one door.
- the deflection element is attached by means of an adhesive, in particular by means of an adhesive strip, to the at least one door.
- An adhesive in particular an adhesive strip, allows for a secure and convenient attachment of the deflection element to the at least one door.
- the refrigerated sales furniture comprises a cold air flow guiding section having a reduced width for increasing the cold air flow speed.
- a cold air flow guiding section generates a local low pressure and, consequently, a suction effect sucking warm air through the at least one warm air channel into the refrigerated sales space.
- the cold air flow guiding section in particular may be situated between the front of the bottom portion of the refrigerated sales space and the rear side of the lowermost portion of the at least one door and/or the rear side of the lower door frame portion.
- the refrigerated sales furniture is configured to provide a flow of cold air, i.e. a "cold air curtain", flowing substantially vertically in a downward direction in front of the refrigerated sales space along the inner surface of the at least one door when it is in its closed position.
- a cold air curtain provides additional thermal insulation at the front of the refrigerated sales space and separates the goods stored in the refrigerated sales space from the ambient air when the at least one door is open.
- At least one elastic buffer is provided between the stopper bar and the door for damping the impact of the door onto the stopper bar when the door is being closed, and for maintaining a defined gap between the door and the stopper bar in order to realize the intermediate portion of the warm air channel when the door is closed.
- the refrigerated sales furniture further comprises at least one return air opening within the refrigerated sales space.
- the at least one return air opening is arranged at the bottom of the refrigerated sales space next to the at least one warm air channel and is configured to receive the warm air which is sucked through the at least one warm air channel and the cold air from the refrigerated sales area. This allows to efficiently remove warm air which has been sucked through the at least one warm air channel from the refrigerated sales space and avoids an undesirable increase of the temperature within the refrigerated sales space and especially of the foodstuffs stored therein.
- the at least one return air opening may be covered by a return air grille in order to prevent goods and other objects from falling into the return air duct.
- the at least one return air opening is fluidly connected to a return air duct which houses at least one fan.
- the fan is configured for delivering air, which has been received by at least one return air opening, to an evaporator of a refrigeration circuit in order to cool the mixture of cold return air and warm air, which has been sucked through the at least one warm air channel, into the refrigerated sales space. This allows to maintain the temperature within the refrigerated sales space within appropriate limits.
- the return air duct and/or the evaporator in particular are arranged below and/or behind the back side of the refrigerated sales space.
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- Cold Air Circulating Systems And Constructional Details In Refrigerators (AREA)
- Freezers Or Refrigerated Showcases (AREA)
Description
- The invention relates to refrigerated sales furniture, in particular to refrigerated sales furniture comprising at least one door and at least one warm air channel, which is configured to reduce the risk of condensation at the at least one door.
- In order to enhance energy efficiency, refrigerated sales furniture may be equipped with doors, in particular glass doors, establishing a separation between a refrigerated space inside the furniture and the warm environment outside the furniture. A common problem with this kind of refrigerated sales furniture is that condensate forms on the lower portion of the doors. This is undesirable and should be avoided.
-
US 5 214 877 A discloses a refrigerator door assembly with venting system comprising a vent plate attached to the bottom frame member of a door mounting frame of an insulated door assembly of a refrigerator unit. The vent plate includes passages which enable ambient air to be drawn into the cabinet of the refrigerator unit at a controlled location in order to avoid frost build up. - It would be beneficial to provide improved refrigerated sales furniture which avoids formation of undesired condensate on the lower portion of its doors more efficiently.
- According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, such refrigerated sales furniture comprises: a furniture body providing a refrigerated sales space for storing products to be presented therein; at least one access area providing access to the refrigerated sales space; at least one door which is pivotally or slidably supported by upper and lower portions of a door support frame at the at least one access area and which is movable between a closed position closing the at least one access area and at least one open position allowing access to the refrigerated sales space via the at least one access area; a return air opening which is provided at a bottom of the refrigerated sales space next to the at least one door for receiving a flow of cold air flowing substantially vertically in a downward direction in at least a lower front portion of the refrigerated sales space; a deflection element, which is fixed to an inner surface of the at least one door for deflecting the flow of cold air, and at least one warm air channel extending from a front side of the refrigerated sales furniture into the refrigerated sales furniture and being configured to guide warm air from an area in front of the refrigerated sales furniture into the refrigerated sales furniture in order to keep the temperature at a lower portion of the at least one door above the dew point temperature. The at least one warm air channel comprises an outer portion extending below the at least one door and an inner portion extending between a portion of the deflection element and an upper end of a stopper bar provided at the lower portion of the door support frame. The refrigerated sales furniture is configured such that the flow of warm air is sucked through the at least one warm air channel by the flow of cold air and is merged with said flow of cold air. The warm air channel further comprises an intermediate portion, extending basically vertically between the rear side of the lowermost portion of the at least one door and a front side portion of a stopper bar at the lower door frame portion, and fluidly connecting the inner and outer portions of the warm air channel.
- Exemplary embodiments of the invention further include a method of reducing the risk of formation of undesired condensate on the outer surface of a door of such refrigerated sales furniture, wherein the method comprises the steps of providing a flow of cold air flowing substantially vertically in a downward direction in at least a lower front portion of the refrigerated sales space next to the inside of a lower portion of the at least one door into a return air opening provided at the bottom of the refrigerated sales space and deflecting the flow of cold air by means of the deflection element in order to suck warm air from an area in front of the refrigerated sales furniture into the refrigerated sales furniture through the warm air channel, when the door is in closed position to increase the temperature at a lower portion of the at least one door, the flow of warm air merging with the flow of cold air.
- According to exemplary embodiments of the invention, the convective heat transfer on the lower portion of the outer surface of the door is increased by generating a flow of warm air along the lower portion of the door. Said flow of warm air causes an increase of the temperature at a lower portion of the outer surface of the door. This helps keeping the temperature of said lower portion over the dew point temperature of the ambient air in order to keep the door free from undesired condensate.
- Due to the configuration of the stopper bar, the inner and outer portions of the warm air channel extend along an axis which is oriented basically horizontally, and the intermediate portion extends along an axis which is oriented basically vertically. As a result, the mechanical structure elements of the lower part of the door are almost surrounded by ambient air or the warm air flowing within the warm air channel and not by cold air.
- According to exemplary embodiments of the invention, the flow of warm air is generated without employing additional fans, but simply by forming a warm air channel below the door, in particular within a door abutment profile, and generating a local low pressure (underpressure) at the outlet of said warm air channel with help of the deflection element according to Bernoulli's principle using the flow of cold air induced by the fan(s) already present in the furniture.
- A benefit of the exemplary embodiments of the invention is the simplicity with which the problem of undesired condensate forming at a lower portion of the door can be solved without the need to modify the design of the door or adding new active components such as additional electrical heaters or fans.
- The exemplary embodiments of the invention reliably avoid the problem of undesired condensate formation, in particular in refrigerated sales furniture in which a cold air curtain is flowing next to the door(s).
- The exemplary embodiments of the invention reliably avoid the problem of undesired condensate formation even if thermal bridges caused by a glass spacer element, the door frame, hinges and other solid elements of the door assuring the mechanical structure of the door are present, and despite the fact that the edges of the doors, particularly the lower portion of the doors, constitute an intrinsic weakness of the thermal insulation. The exemplary embodiments of the invention reliably avoid the problem of undesired condensate formation although an enhanced heat transfer occurs on the inner surface of the door due to the local air flow acceleration taking place at the return air grille, which is provided inside the refrigerated sales furniture.
- The exemplary embodiments of the invention can replace other conceivable ways for maintaining the temperature in the lower portion of the door above the dew point temperature that include improving the thermal resistance of the door edge design and/or using an air baffle for avoiding the cold air from contacting the door directly. Alternatively, exemplary embodiments of the invention can also be provided in addition thereto.
- In the following, exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to the enclosed figures:
-
Figure 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a refrigerated sales furniture according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention. -
Figure 2 shows an enlarged view of an area at the lower end of a glass door of the refrigerated sales furniture shown inFigure 1 . -
Figure 3 shows an enlarged view of an area at the lower end of a glass door of the refrigerated sales furniture shown inFigure 1 according to a second exemplary embodiment of the invention. -
Figure 4 shows an enlarged sectional view of the deflection element employed in the second exemplary embodiment of the invention (Figure 3 ). -
Figure 5 shows an enlarged sectional view a deflection element according to a third exemplary embodiment. -
Figure 1 depicts a schematic sectional view of a refrigeratedsales furniture 10 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention. The refrigeratedsales furniture 10 comprises a furniture body 1 defining a refrigeratedsales space 28 which is configured for storing products (not shown) to be presented therein. A plurality of shelves orracks 22 which are configured for accommodating and supporting said products, are provided on top of each other within the refrigeratedsales space 28. - An evaporator 2, which is part of a refrigeration circuit, is provided at the bottom of the refrigerated
sales furniture 10 below the refrigeratedsales space 28. Additional components of the refrigeration circuit, such as a compressor, a condenser and an expansion device, which are not shown inFigure 1 , may be provided within the refrigeratedsales furniture 10 as well. Alternatively, one or more of these components may be located outside the refrigeratedsales furniture 10, for example in a machine room or on the outside/on the roof of the building (not shown) housing the refrigeratedsales furniture 10. - An
access area 11 provided at the front side of the refrigeratedsales space 28 may be closed by means of adoor 8, in particular a glass door, which is pivotally supported by upper andlower portions 6a, 6b of a door support frame and upper andlower hinges 7. In alternative embodiments, which are not shown in the Figures, the refrigeratedsales furniture 10 may be equipped with two ormore doors 8 including sliding doors mounted on ball bearings rolling on rails. -
Elastic buffers 13 are arranged between thedoor 8 andstopper bars 12 located at the upper andlower portions 6a, 6b of a door support frame for damping the impact of thedoor 8 onto thestopper bars 12 when thedoor 8 is being closed and for maintaining a defined gap between thedoor 8 and thestopper bars 12. In order to prevent cold air from flowing out of the refrigeratedsales space 28 and warm air from flowing into the refrigeratedsales space 28, a sealing lip 9 is provided between thestopper bar 12 formed at the upper portion 6a of door support frame and thedoor 8. The skilled person will understand that with a sealing lip 9 provided between thestopper bar 12 and thedoor 8, thebuffer 13 provided at the top portion 6a of the door support frame is optional. - A
return air duct 26 extending basically along a horizontal axis is formed between areturn air opening 34 located at the bottom of the refrigeratedsales space 28 and an inlet side of the evaporator 2, which is the right side of the evaporator 2 in the exemplary configuration shown inFigure 1 . Thereturn air duct 26 houses afan 3 which is configured to suck air from the refrigeratedsales space 28 through the return air opening 34 into thereturn air duct 26 and to deliver said air to the evaporator 2 where it is cooled. Thereturn air opening 34 is covered by a return air grille 4 for preventing goods and other objects from falling into thereturn air duct 26. - Cooled air leaving the evaporator 2 (on its left side in the exemplary configuration shown in
Figure 1 ) is delivered into a verticalcold air duct 24 extending vertically along theback side 29 of the refrigeratedsales space 28. - The vertical
cold air duct 24 may be provided with at least one cold air opening 30 for delivering cold air from the verticalcold air duct 24 into the refrigeratedsales space 28. - A horizontal
cold air duct 25 may be fluidly connected with the upper end of the verticalcold air duct 24 for delivering cold air from the verticalcold air duct 24 to the front side of the refrigeratedsales space 28. A front side end of the horizontalcold air duct 25 is provided with an air discharge opening 5 for discharging cold air from the horizontalcold air duct 25 into an upper front area of the refrigeratedsales space 28. - Cold air which is discharged through the air discharge opening 5 into the upper front area of the refrigerated
sales space 28 provides a flow of cold air ("cold air curtain") C flowing basically vertically from the top to the bottom of the refrigeratedsales space 28 along the inside of thedoor 8 facing the refrigeratedsales space 28. - Said flow of cold air C reduces the temperature of the
door 8. When the temperature of the outer surface of thedoor 8 facing the outside of the refrigeratedsales furniture 10 drops below the dew point temperature of ambient air A, undesired condensate from ambient air A will form on the outside of thedoor 8. Due to the mechanical structure elements of thedoor 8 and to the structural components supporting thedoor 8 in particular including the doorsupport frame portion 6b and thehinge 7, and due to the enhanced heat transfer in said region, the risk of undesired condensate formation is particularly high at the lower portion of thedoor 8. - In order to reduce the risk of undesired condensate formation in said lower portion of the
door 8, awarm air channel 18 extending from the exterior into a lower portion of the refrigeratedsales space 28 is provided. A flow of relatively warm ambient air W flowing through saidwarm air channel 18 increases the temperature of the mechanical structure elements of thedoor 8 in an area located at the lower portion of thedoor 8. This reduces the risk that the temperature of said lower portion of thedoor 8 falls below the dew point temperature of ambient air A and that undesired condensate is forming. - In the following, the structure of the
warm air channel 18 will be described in more detail with reference toFigure 2 . -
Figure 2 shows an enlarged view of a lower portion of the front side of the refrigeratedsales furniture 10, in particular of the area around the lower portion of thedoor 8. - The
door 8 in particular is aninsulating glass door 8 comprising aninner glass pane 8a facing the refrigeratedsales space 28 and anouter glass pane 8c facing the outside of the refrigeratedsales furniture 10. Theouter glass pane 8c is spaced apart from theinner glass pane 8a by means of aglass spacer element 8d. As a result, aninsulating cavity 8b, which in particular may be filled with a thermally insulating gas such as argon or which may be evacuated to a vacuum, is formed between the inner and theouter glass panes - A
lower door hinge 7 comprising a frameside hinge element 7a and a doorside hinge element 7b, which are pivotably connected by means of a connectingelement 7c, pivotably supports thedoor 8 at alower portion 6b of the door support frame. - A
stopper bar 12 extends vertically from thelower portion 6b of the support frame at a position higher than the lower edge ofdoor 8. - A
deflection element 20 is attached to theinner glass pane 8a of theglass door 8 at a height slightly above the upper end of thestopper bar 12. - The
warm air channel 18 extends from the exterior into a lower portion of the refrigeratedsales space 28 and comprises anouter portion 18a provided between the underside of the at least onedoor 8 in its closed position and an upper side of thelower portion 6b of the door support frame, an adjacentintermediate portion 18b extending between theinner glass pane 8a and thestopper bar 12, and aninner portion 18c extending between an upper edge of thestopper bar 12 and a lowerfirst plane surface 20a of thedeflection element 20 attached to thedoor 8. - Due to the configuration of the
stopper bar 12, the inner andouter portions warm air channel 18 extend along an axis which is oriented basically horizontally, and theintermediate portion 18b extends along an axis which is oriented basically vertically. As a result, the solid elements of the lower part of thedoor 8 are almost surrounded by ambient air or the warm air flow W flowing through thewarm air channel 18 instead of cold air. In an alternative configuration, which is not shown in the figures, at least one of the inner, intermediate andouter portions warm air channel 18 may be oriented at a non-orthogonal angle with respect to a horizontally or vertically extending axis. - The
deflection element 20, which in particular may extend over the whole width of the at least onedoor 8, is provided with a lowerfirst plane surface 20a facing the upper end of thestopper bar 12 thereby defining theinner portion 18c of thewarm air channel 18. Thedeflection element 20 further comprises asecond plane surface 20b which is attached, e.g. by means of an adhesive, in particular an adhesive strip, to theinner glass pane 8a, and a third surface 20c facing therefrigerated sales space 28. Said third surface 20c may be an inclined plane surface. Alternatively, said third surface 20c may be an arcuate surface as shown inFigure 2 . - The deflecting
element 20 may have a height of 10 mm to 20 mm, in particular a height of 15 mm. - The height H2 of the
inner portion 18c of thewarm air channel 18 may be between 2 mm to 10 mm, in particular a height H2 of 4 mm. - The height H1 of the
outer portion 18a of thewarm air channel 18 may be between 5 mm and 10 mm, in particular between 6 mm and 8 mm. The width D of theintermediate portion 18b of thewarm air channel 18 may be between 3 mm and 10 mm, in particular between 4 mm and 6 mm. - In a cold air
flow guiding section 32 next to a lower portion of thedoor 8, thedeflection element 20, in particular the inclined or arcuate third surface 20c of thedeflection element 20, deflects the basically vertically flowing cold air flow C, which flows basically parallel to the surface of theinner glass pane 8a. This deflection prevents cold air from the cold air flow C from flowing out of therefrigerated sales space 28 via thewarm air channel 18. - The deflection caused by the
deflection element 20 further results in a reduction of the width of the space which is available for the flow of cold air C. Said reduction of the available space acts as a nozzle which causes the speed of the flow of cold air C to increase. Said increase of the speed of the flow of cold air C causes a decrease of the static pressure in alow pressure area 36 located within therefrigerated sales space 28 next to thedeflection element 20 and thestopper bar 12. Said decrease of static pressure results in a pressure difference between saidlow pressure area 36 and thewarm air channel 18. In consequence, warm air W is sucked through the at least onewarm air channel 18 into therefrigerated sales space 28. - As a result of this flow of relatively warm ambient air W, the temperature of the lower part of the
glass door 8 including the doorside hinge element 7b, mechanical structure elements of the door, which are not visible in the figures as they are located behind thehinge element 7b,glass spacer element 8d and in particular thelower portion 8e of theouter glass pane 8c is increased. This makes it easier to maintain the temperature of this area above the dew point temperature of ambient air A, considerably reducing the risk of undesired condensate formation in this area. - The warm air W, which has been drawn into the
refrigerated sales space 28, merges with the flow of cold air C and is sucked through thereturn air opening 34 into areturn air duct 26 provided below the refrigeratedsales space 28. Via thereturn air duct 26 the warm air W is delivered to the evaporator 2, which is not shown inFigure 2 , where it is refrigerated before it is delivered back into therefrigerated sales space 28 as illustrated inFigure 1 . -
Figure 3 shows an enlarged view of a lower portion of a front side of arefrigerated sales furniture 10 according to a second exemplary embodiment which in particular comprises a different type ofdeflection element 21. An enlarged sectional view of saiddeflection element 21 according to the second exemplary embodiment is shown inFigure 4 . - The
deflection element 21 shown inFigures 3 and4 has the form of a thin profile, which e.g. may be made of sheet metal or plastic. - The
deflection element 21 comprises a straightcentral portion 21b extending parallel to the inner surface of theinner glass pane 8a of the at least onedoor 8 when thedeflection element 21 is attached to the at least onedoor 8. The straightcentral portion 21b may be attached to theinner glass pane 8a of the at least onedoor 8 by means of an adhesive, e.g. an adhesive strip 23 (seeFigure 4 ), which is provided between the straightcentral portion 21b and theinner glass pane 8a. - The
deflection element 21 further comprises alower fixing portion 21c extending basically orthogonally from the straightcentral portion 21b. Thelower fixing portion 21c in particular extends basically horizontally along the lower edge of the at least onedoor 8 when thedeflection element 21 is mounted to the at least onedoor 8. Optionally, thelower fixing portion 21c may be fixed to the lower edge of the at least onedoor 8 by means of an adhesive, e.g. an adhesive strip, which is not shown in the figures. - The
deflection element 21 also comprises anupper deflecting portion 21a extending from the straightcentral portion 21b on a side opposite to thelower fixing portion 21c. In consequence, theupper deflecting portion 21a extends into therefrigerated sales space 28 when thedeflection element 21 is mounted to the inner surface of the at least onedoor 8 as illustrated inFigure 3 . - The
upper deflecting portion 21a has alower tip 21d. Thelower tip 21d protrudes into the cabinet relatively to aninner surface 12a of thestopper bar 12 and extends downwardly into therefrigerated sales space 28. A horizontal distance L between thelower tip 21d of theupper deflecting portion 21a and theinner surface 12a of thestopper bar 12 may be in the range from 1 mm to 5 mm, particularly from 2 mm to 3 mm. - Such a protrusion associated with the downward orientation causes condensate forming on the lower side of the
upper deflecting portion 21a to flow and drop downwardly into thereturn air duct 26 provided at the bottom of therefrigerated sales space 28. - In the embodiment shown in
Figures 3 and4 , the upper deflectingportion 21 has a basically arcuate shape with a radius R (seeFigure 4 ) of 10 mm to 20 mm, in particular a radius R of 13 to 15 mm. In alternative embodiments, which are not shown in the figures, theupper deflecting portion 21a may be straight but inclined with respect to the plane of the at least onedoor 8. Alternatively, a smaller portion of a circle, i.e. a portion extending over an angle of less than 90° and having a larger radius R, may be used. - In a third embodiment illustrated in
Figure 5 , theupper deflecting portion 21a may comprise a plurality of differently, in particular progressively, inclinedstraight portions upper deflecting portion 21a which overall is similar to the arcuate shape shown inFigure 4 . - When the
deflection element 21 is mounted to the at least onedoor 8, thelower tip 21d of theupper deflecting portion 21a may end at a height H2 of 2 mm to 10 mm, in particular at a height H2 of 4 mm above an upper edge 12b of thestopper bar 12. - The deflecting
element 21 extends basically over the whole width of the at least onedoor 8 and may have a height h of 30 mm to 40 mm, in particular a height of 35 mm. - The height H2 of the
inner portion 18c of thewarm air channel 18 may be between 2 mm to 10 mm, in particular a height H2 of 4 mm. - The height H1 of the
outer portion 18a of thewarm air channel 18 may be between 5 mm and 10 mm, in particular between 6 mm and 8 mm. The width D of theintermediate portion 18b of thewarm air channel 18 may be between 3 mm and 10 mm, in particular between 4 mm and 6 mm. - The
upper deflecting portion 21a deflects the flow of cold air C flowing along the front portion of therefrigerated sales space 28 similar to the third surface 20c of thedeflection element 20 shown inFigures 1 and2 . Thus, the effect of sucking a flow of warm air W into therefrigerated sales space 28 along a lower portion of the at least onedoor 8 for avoiding condensation is the same as it has been described before with reference toFigures 1 and2 . - A
deflection element 21 according to the second embodiment shown inFigures 3 and4 is easy to produce at low costs, e.g. by extruding a plastic material or by bending / roller molding an appropriate sheet of metal. - The
lower fixing portion 21c of thedeflection element 21 defines a mounting position of thedeflection element 21 in the vertical direction. It particularly defines the vertical position of theupper deflecting portion 21a with respect to the lower edge of the at least onedoor 8. Consequently, this enables to control the position of theupper deflecting portion 21a relatively to the other parts and especially the vertical distance H2 left open betweenlower tip 21d of theupper deflecting portion 21a and the upper edge 12b ofstopper bar 12. As a result, thedeflection element 21 according to the second embodiment may be mounted in the correct position easily and with high reliability. - A number of optional features are set out in the following. These features may be realized in particular embodiments, alone or in combination with any of the other features.
- In an embodiment, the substantially vertical portion has a width of 3 mm to 10 mm, particularly a width of 4 mm or 6 mm. A width in said range has proven to provide the air flow rate needed to avoid condensation at the lower portion of the at least one door without unreasonably increasing the depth of the lower portion of the door support frame including the stopper bar.
- In another embodiment, the deflection element comprises a central portion extending parallel to the inner surface of the at least one door, a lower fixing portion extending along the lower edge of the at least one door, and an upper deflecting portion which extends from the inner surface of the at least one door into the refrigerated sales space. The central portion and the lower fixing portion in particular may extend orthogonally with respect to each other. A deflection element having such a configuration is easy to produce and to mount on the door at low costs. The lower fixing portion ensures an exact positioning of the deflection element at the door.
- In another embodiment, the upper deflecting portion has a low tip, which protrudes into the cabinet relatively to the inner surface of the stopper bar and is oriented downwardly into the refrigerated sales space. A horizontal distance between the lower tip of the upper deflecting portion and an inner surface of the stopper bar may be in the range of 1 mm to 5 mm, in particular in the range of 2 mm to 3 mm. Such an upper deflecting portion allows condensate forming on the lower side of the upper deflecting portion to flow and drop downwardly into a return air duct provided at the bottom of the refrigerated sales space. It further allows for an efficient deflection of the flow of cold air flowing basically vertically along the front of the refrigerated sales space.
- In another embodiment, the upper deflecting portion has an arcuate shape, in particular an arcuate shape having a radius of 10 mm to 20 mm, more particular a radius of 13 to 15 mm. The lower end of the upper deflecting portion may end 2 mm to 10 mm, in particular 4 mm, above a higher edge of the stopper bar. A gap in said range has proven as to be efficient to avoid condensation at the lower portion of the at least one door without unreasonably increasing the energy consumption of the refrigerated sales furniture due to the warm air being sucked into the refrigerated sales space.
- The deflection element may have a height of 30 mm to 40 mm, in particular a height of 35 mm. In an alternative configuration the deflection element may have a height of 10 mm to 20 mm, in particular a height of 15 mm. Such configurations allow for a proper deflection of the flow of cold air flowing basically vertically along the front of the refrigerated sales space and for an efficient suction of ambient air through the warm air channel.
- In another embodiment, the upper deflecting portion extending into the refrigerated sales space is configured such that an outlet surface of the warm air channel into the refrigerated sales space, which is formed between the lower tip of the upper deflecting portion and a higher edge of the stopper bar is oriented substantially parallel with respect to the direction of flow of the flow of cold air. An outlet surface of the warm air channel which is oriented substantially parallel to the main direction of flow of cold air reduces the dynamic pressure component generated by the flow of cold air acting at said outlet surface, particularly close to zero. This decreases the pressure acting at said outlet surface close to its minimum, which is equal to the static pressure. As a consequence, such a configuration provides a low pressure at said outlet surface close to the lowest pressure which is possible for a given velocity of the flow of cold air and, therefore, an efficient suction of warm air flowing through the warm air channel.
- In another embodiment, the deflection element extends over the whole width of the at least one door in order to prevent cold air flowing basically vertically along the front of the refrigerated sales space from entering into the warm air channel and in order to provide a flow of warm air into the refrigerated sales space over the whole width of the at least one door.
- In another embodiment, the deflection element is attached by means of an adhesive, in particular by means of an adhesive strip, to the at least one door. An adhesive, in particular an adhesive strip, allows for a secure and convenient attachment of the deflection element to the at least one door.
- In another embodiment, the refrigerated sales furniture comprises a cold air flow guiding section having a reduced width for increasing the cold air flow speed. Such a cold air flow guiding section generates a local low pressure and, consequently, a suction effect sucking warm air through the at least one warm air channel into the refrigerated sales space. In order to create the suction effect at a lower portion of the at least one door, basically at the height of the warm air channel outlet, the cold air flow guiding section in particular may be situated between the front of the bottom portion of the refrigerated sales space and the rear side of the lowermost portion of the at least one door and/or the rear side of the lower door frame portion.
- In another embodiment, the refrigerated sales furniture is configured to provide a flow of cold air, i.e. a "cold air curtain", flowing substantially vertically in a downward direction in front of the refrigerated sales space along the inner surface of the at least one door when it is in its closed position. Such a cold air curtain provides additional thermal insulation at the front of the refrigerated sales space and separates the goods stored in the refrigerated sales space from the ambient air when the at least one door is open.
- In another embodiment, at least one elastic buffer is provided between the stopper bar and the door for damping the impact of the door onto the stopper bar when the door is being closed, and for maintaining a defined gap between the door and the stopper bar in order to realize the intermediate portion of the warm air channel when the door is closed.
- In another embodiment, the refrigerated sales furniture further comprises at least one return air opening within the refrigerated sales space. The at least one return air opening is arranged at the bottom of the refrigerated sales space next to the at least one warm air channel and is configured to receive the warm air which is sucked through the at least one warm air channel and the cold air from the refrigerated sales area. This allows to efficiently remove warm air which has been sucked through the at least one warm air channel from the refrigerated sales space and avoids an undesirable increase of the temperature within the refrigerated sales space and especially of the foodstuffs stored therein.
- The at least one return air opening may be covered by a return air grille in order to prevent goods and other objects from falling into the return air duct.
- In another embodiment, the at least one return air opening is fluidly connected to a return air duct which houses at least one fan. The fan is configured for delivering air, which has been received by at least one return air opening, to an evaporator of a refrigeration circuit in order to cool the mixture of cold return air and warm air, which has been sucked through the at least one warm air channel, into the refrigerated sales space. This allows to maintain the temperature within the refrigerated sales space within appropriate limits.
- The return air duct and/or the evaporator in particular are arranged below and/or behind the back side of the refrigerated sales space.
- While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, 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 many modifications may be made to adopt 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 not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the invention include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims.
-
- 1
- furniture body
- 2
- evaporator
- 3
- fan
- 4
- return air grille
- 5
- air discharge opening
- 6a
- upper portion of the door support frame
- 6b
- lower portion of the door support frame
- 7
- door hinge
- 7a
- frame side hinge element
- 7b
- door side hinge element
- 7c
- connecting hinge element
- 8
- door
- 8a
- inner glass pane
- 8b
- insulating cavity
- 8c
- outer glass pane
- 8d
- glass spacer element
- 8e
- lower portion of the outer glass pane
- 9
- sealing element
- 10
- refrigerated sales furniture
- 11
- access area
- 12a
- inner surface of the stopper bar
- 12b
- upper edge of the stopper bar
- 12
- stopper bar
- 13
- elastic buffer
- 18
- warm air channel
- 18a
- outer portion of the warm air channel
- 18b
- intermediate portion of the warm air channel
- 18c
- inner portion of the warm air channel
- 19a, 19b, 19c
- inclined straight portions of the deflection element
- 20
- deflection element (first embodiment)
- 20a
- first plane surface of the deflection element
- 20b
- second plane surface of the deflection element
- 20c
- third surface of the deflection element
- 21
- deflection element (second embodiment)
- 21a
- upper deflecting portion of the deflection element
- 21b
- central portion of the deflection element
- 21c
- lower fixing portion of the deflection element
- 21d
- lower tip of the upper deflecting portion
- 22
- shelve / rack
- 23
- adhesive strip
- 24
- vertical cold air duct
- 25
- horizontal cold air duct
- 26
- return air duct
- 28
- refrigerated sales space
- 29
- back side of the refrigerates sales space
- 30
- cold air openings
- 32
- cold air flow guiding section
- 34
- return air opening
- 36
- low pressure area
- A
- ambient air
- C
- flow of cold air
- D
- width of the vertical portion of the warm air channel
- H1
- height of the outer portion of the warm air channel
- H2
- height of the inner portion of the warm air channel
- h
- height of the deflection element
- L
- protrusion of the tip of the deflection element into the refrigerated sales space relatively to the inner surface of the stopper bar
- W
- flow of ambient air
Claims (15)
- Refrigerated sales furniture (10) comprising:a furniture body (1) providing a refrigerated sales space (28);at least one access area (11) for accessing said refrigerated sales space (28);at least one door (8) which is supported by upper and lower portions (6a, 6b) of a door support frame at the at least one access area (11);a return air opening (34) which is provided at a bottom of the refrigerated sales space (28) next to the at least one door (8) for receiving a flow of cold air (C) flowing substantially vertically in a downward direction in at least a lower front portion of the refrigerated sales space (28);a deflection element (20; 21) which is fixed to an inner surface of the at least one door (8) for deflecting the flow of cold air (C); andat least one warm air channel (18) extending between the inside and the outside of the refrigerated sales furniture (10), said channel configured to conduct warm air from an area in front of the refrigerated sales furniture (10) into the refrigerated sales furniture (10) to keep the temperature at a lower portion of the at least one door (8) above the dew point temperature of the ambient air (A);wherein the refrigerated sales furniture (10) is configured such that the flow of warm air (W) is sucked through the at least one warm air channel (18) by the flow of cold air (C) and merges with said flow of cold air (C); andcharacterized in that the at least one warm air channel (18) comprises an outer portion (18a) extending horizontally below the at least one door (8); an inner portion (18c) extending horizontally between a portion (20c; 21c) of the deflection element (20; 21) and an upper end of a stopper bar (12) provided at the lower portion (6b) of the door support frame; and
a vertically extending intermediate portion (18b) situated between a rear side of a lower portion of the at least one door (8) and a front side portion of the stopper bar (12), wherein the intermediate portion (18b) fluidly connects the outer portion (18a) with the inner portion (18c) of the warm air channel (18). - Refrigerated sales furniture (10) according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate portion (18b) has a width (D) of 3 mm to 10 mm, in particular a width of 4 mm to 6 mm.
- Refrigerated sales furniture (10) according to any of claim 1 or 2, wherein the deflection element (21) comprises a central portion (21b) extending parallel to the inner surface of the at least one door (8), a lower fixing portion (21c) extending along the lower edge of the at least one door (8), and an upper deflecting portion (21a) which extends from the inner surface of the at least one door (8) into the refrigerated sales space (28), wherein the central portion (21b) and the lower fixing portion (21c) in particular extend orthogonally with respect to each other.
- Refrigerated sales furniture (10) according to claim 3, wherein the upper deflecting portion (21a) has a lower tip (21d) which extends downwardly into the refrigerated sales space (28), wherein the lower tip (21d) of the upper deflecting portion (21a) in particular protrudes inside the refrigerated sales space (28).
- Refrigerated sales furniture (10) according to claim 4, wherein the horizontal distance (L) between the lower tip (21d) of the upper deflecting portion (21a) and an inner surface (12a) of the stopper bar (12) is 1 to 5 mm, in particular 2 to 3 mm.
- Refrigerated sales furniture (10) according to any of claims 3 to 5, wherein the upper deflecting portion (21a) has an arcuate shape, wherein the arcuate shape of the upper deflecting portion (21a) in particular has a radius (R) of 10 mm to 20 mm, in particular a radius of approximately 13 to 15 mm.
- Refrigerated sales furniture (10) according to any of claims 4 to 6, wherein the upper deflecting portion (21a) extending into the refrigerated sales space (28) is configured such that an outlet of the warm air channel (18) into the refrigerated sales space (28), which is formed between the lower tip (21d) of the upper deflecting portion (21a) and an upper edge (12b) of the stopper bar (12) is oriented substantially parallel with respect to the direction of flow of the flow of cold air (C).
- Refrigerated sales furniture (10) according to any of claims 3 to 7, wherein the vertical distance (H2) between the lower end of the upper deflecting portion (21a) and the upper edge (12b) of the stopper bar (12) is 2 mm to 10 mm long, in particular 4 mm long.
- Refrigerated sales furniture (10) according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the deflection element (21) has a height (h) of 30 mm to 40 mm, in particular a height of 35 mm, and/or wherein the deflection element (20) has a height of 10 mm to 20 mm, in particular a height of 15 mm, and/or wherein the deflection element (20; 21) extends over the whole width of the at least one door (8), and/or wherein the deflection element (20; 21) is attached by means of an adhesive, in particular an adhesive strip (23), to the at least one door (8).
- Refrigerated sales furniture (10) according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a cold air flow guiding section (32) having a reduced width for increasing the speed of the cold air flow (C), the cold air flow guiding section (32) in particular being situated between the front of a bottom portion of the refrigerated sales space (28) and the rear side of the lowermost portion of the at least one door (8) and/or the rear side of the lower portion (6b) of a door support frame.
- Refrigerated sales furniture (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the refrigerated sales furniture (10) is configured to provide a flow of cold air (C) flowing substantially vertically in a downward direction in front of the refrigerated sales space (28) along the inside of the at least one door (8), when it is in its closed position.
- Refrigerated sales furniture (10) according to any of the preceding claims comprising at least one return air opening (34) within the refrigerated sales space (28), the at least one return air opening (34) being arranged next to the at least one warm air channel (18) and being configured to receive the warm air which has been sucked through the at least one warm air channel (18) after merging with the flow of cold air (C) from the refrigerated sales space (28).
- Refrigerated sales furniture (10) according to claim 12, wherein the at least one return air opening (34) is fluidly connected to a return air duct (26) comprising at least one fan (3) configured to deliver air, which has been received by at least one return air opening (34) to an evaporator (2) which is part of a refrigeration circuit.
- Method of reducing the risk of condensation on the surface of a door (8) of a refrigerated sales furniture (10), the refrigerated sales furniture (10) comprising:a furniture body (1) providing a refrigerated sales space (28) for storing products to be presented therein;at least one access area (11) providing access to the refrigerated sales space (28); andat least one door (8) which is supported by upper and lower portions (6a, 6b) of a door support frame at the at least one access area (11) and which is movable between a closed position closing the at least one access area (11) and at least one open position allowing access to the refrigerated sales space (28) via the at least one access area (11);a deflection element (20; 21), which is fixed to an inner surface of the at least one door (8); andat least one warm air channel (18) extending below the at least one door (8) from a front side of the refrigerated sales furniture (10) into the refrigerated sales furniture (10);wherein the at least one warm air channel (18) comprises an outer portion (18a) extending horizontally below the at least one door (8), an inner portion (18c) extending horizontally between a portion of the deflection element (20; 21) and an upper end of a stopper bar (12) provided at the lower portion (6b) of the door support frame, and a vertically extending intermediate portion (18b) situated between a rear side of a lower portion of the at least one door (8) and a front side portion of the stopper bar (12) fluidly connecting the outer portion (18a) with the inner portion (18c) of the warm air channel (18); andwherein the method comprises the steps of:providing a flow of cold air (C) flowing substantially vertically in a downward direction in at least a lower front portion of the refrigerated sales space (28) next to the inside of a lower portion of the at least one door (8) into a return air opening (34) provided at the bottom of the refrigerated sales space (28);deflecting the flow of cold air (C) by means of the deflection element (20; 21) for sucking warm air (W) from an area in front of the refrigerated sales furniture (10) into the refrigerated sales furniture (10) through the warm air channel (18), when the door (8) is in its closed position for increasing the temperature at a lower portion of the at least one door (8) and as a consequence keeping it above the dew point temperature; andmerging the flow of warm air (W) with the flow of cold air (C).
- Method according to claim 14, wherein the step of providing a flow of cold air (C) includes flowing the flow of cold air (C) substantially vertically in a downward direction in front of the refrigerated sales space (28) and along the inside of the at least one door (8), when it is in its closed position, and/or wherein the method further comprises the step of drawing with at least one fan (3) the flow of cold air (C) after it has merged with the flow of warm air (W), through a return air duct (26) into an evaporator (2), the return air duct (26) and/or the evaporator (2) and/or the fan (3) preferably being arranged below or behind the refrigerated sales space (28).
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/EP2015/081009 WO2017108101A1 (en) | 2015-12-22 | 2015-12-22 | Refrigerated sales furniture |
PCT/EP2016/077886 WO2017108281A1 (en) | 2015-12-22 | 2016-11-16 | Refrigerated sales furniture |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP3393307A1 EP3393307A1 (en) | 2018-10-31 |
EP3393307B1 true EP3393307B1 (en) | 2020-01-01 |
Family
ID=55024145
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP15816478.0A Active EP3393306B1 (en) | 2015-12-22 | 2015-12-22 | Refrigerated sales furniture |
EP16795390.0A Active EP3393307B1 (en) | 2015-12-22 | 2016-11-16 | Refrigerated sales furniture |
Family Applications Before (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP15816478.0A Active EP3393306B1 (en) | 2015-12-22 | 2015-12-22 | Refrigerated sales furniture |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (2) | EP3393306B1 (en) |
CN (2) | CN108430277B (en) |
WO (2) | WO2017108101A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB2584613B (en) * | 2019-05-16 | 2023-02-22 | Aerofoil Energy Ltd | Process for optimising the position of refrigerator air guides in order to achieve increased energy efficiency of the refrigerator |
Family Cites Families (22)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4478047A (en) * | 1980-05-01 | 1984-10-23 | Tyler Refrigeration Corporation | Energy efficient glass door merchandiser |
US5214877A (en) * | 1992-06-23 | 1993-06-01 | Ardco, Inc. | Refrigerator door assembly with venting system |
CN2376819Y (en) * | 1999-01-19 | 2000-05-10 | 海尔集团公司 | Refrigerated show cabinet with dew eliminating air duct |
GB2354061B (en) * | 1999-09-13 | 2001-08-08 | Ian David Wood | Cold-storage appliance |
CN2417785Y (en) * | 2000-02-24 | 2001-02-07 | 青岛市家用电器研究所 | Glass enclosure frame for showcase |
CN2610769Y (en) * | 2003-04-22 | 2004-04-14 | 江苏白雪电器股份有限公司 | Dewfall preventing mechanism |
US7681409B2 (en) * | 2004-09-30 | 2010-03-23 | Hill Phoenix, Inc. | Curtain air admission assembly |
EP1858378A4 (en) * | 2005-03-18 | 2008-10-29 | Carrier Corp | Refrigerated merchandiser |
JP2007205588A (en) * | 2006-01-31 | 2007-08-16 | Japan Uniflow Co Ltd | Refrigerating showcase |
CN101046341A (en) * | 2006-03-31 | 2007-10-03 | 海尔集团公司 | Horizontal freezer with defrost function |
CN101074828A (en) * | 2006-05-15 | 2007-11-21 | 中国国际海运集装箱(集团)股份有限公司 | Ice maker for freezing container and its controlling method |
JP4971710B2 (en) * | 2006-07-21 | 2012-07-11 | 三洋電機株式会社 | Showcase |
CN101413748A (en) * | 2007-10-17 | 2009-04-22 | 开利公司 | Complete machine show cabinet system |
KR100925926B1 (en) * | 2008-05-29 | 2009-11-09 | 현대자동차주식회사 | Dual air duct of front end part in a car |
DE202008012058U1 (en) * | 2008-07-17 | 2009-11-26 | Liebherr-Hausgeräte Lienz Gmbh | Fridge and / or freezer |
JP5372432B2 (en) * | 2008-08-21 | 2013-12-18 | 三洋電機株式会社 | Low temperature showcase |
JP2010057807A (en) * | 2008-09-05 | 2010-03-18 | Sanyo Electric Co Ltd | Low temperature showcase |
NZ573463A (en) * | 2008-12-05 | 2011-05-27 | Skope Ind Ltd | Refrigerated show cabinet with perforated transparent lightweight door |
KR101559786B1 (en) * | 2009-01-21 | 2015-10-13 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | Refrigerator |
CN201977323U (en) * | 2010-12-13 | 2011-09-21 | 青岛澳柯玛股份有限公司 | Novel display cabinet with anti-sweat sash door |
GB2492998B (en) * | 2011-07-20 | 2013-12-18 | Victor Mfg Ltd | A refrigerated display cabinet |
CN102379580B (en) * | 2011-08-12 | 2014-01-22 | 银都餐饮设备股份有限公司 | Anti-condensing closed-type display cabinet |
-
2015
- 2015-12-22 EP EP15816478.0A patent/EP3393306B1/en active Active
- 2015-12-22 CN CN201580085491.7A patent/CN108430277B/en active Active
- 2015-12-22 WO PCT/EP2015/081009 patent/WO2017108101A1/en active Application Filing
-
2016
- 2016-11-16 CN CN201680075534.8A patent/CN108463143B/en active Active
- 2016-11-16 EP EP16795390.0A patent/EP3393307B1/en active Active
- 2016-11-16 WO PCT/EP2016/077886 patent/WO2017108281A1/en active Application Filing
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
None * |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
CN108430277A (en) | 2018-08-21 |
EP3393306B1 (en) | 2020-09-16 |
CN108463143A (en) | 2018-08-28 |
WO2017108101A1 (en) | 2017-06-29 |
CN108430277B (en) | 2021-04-02 |
EP3393307A1 (en) | 2018-10-31 |
EP3393306A1 (en) | 2018-10-31 |
WO2017108281A1 (en) | 2017-06-29 |
CN108463143B (en) | 2020-10-16 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
JP6534400B2 (en) | Frozen Refrigerated Open Display Case and Flow Stabilizer | |
US9775448B2 (en) | Refrigerated display appliances | |
EP1743552A1 (en) | Ambient air curtain with floor air inlet | |
AU2018229958B2 (en) | Improvements to cooling units | |
EP1629749A1 (en) | Multi-pane glass assembly for a refrigerated display case | |
EP2944230B1 (en) | Refrigerated sales cabinet | |
EP3393307B1 (en) | Refrigerated sales furniture | |
US20180252457A1 (en) | Refrigerator Cabinet with Door Defogger | |
CN111669997B (en) | Refrigerated sales cabinet | |
JP6724375B2 (en) | Showcase | |
JP6578663B2 (en) | Showcase | |
CN109549402B (en) | Display cabinet | |
CN114073385A (en) | Unit overhead type display cabinet with glass door body anti-dew structure | |
JP6696187B2 (en) | Showcase | |
US20150013375A1 (en) | Domestic refrigeration appliance with an inner container and a base | |
JP2014150993A (en) | Open showcase | |
JP2013050235A (en) | Showcase with built-in refrigerator |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: UNKNOWN |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: THE INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATION HAS BEEN MADE |
|
PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012 |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: REQUEST FOR EXAMINATION WAS MADE |
|
17P | Request for examination filed |
Effective date: 20180720 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR |
|
AX | Request for extension of the european patent |
Extension state: BA ME |
|
DAV | Request for validation of the european patent (deleted) | ||
DAX | Request for extension of the european patent (deleted) | ||
GRAP | Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR1 |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: GRANT OF PATENT IS INTENDED |
|
INTG | Intention to grant announced |
Effective date: 20190712 |
|
GRAS | Grant fee paid |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR3 |
|
GRAA | (expected) grant |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210 |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: THE PATENT HAS BEEN GRANTED |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: B1 Designated state(s): AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: GB Ref legal event code: FG4D |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: CH Ref legal event code: EP Ref country code: AT Ref legal event code: REF Ref document number: 1218710 Country of ref document: AT Kind code of ref document: T Effective date: 20200115 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: IE Ref legal event code: FG4D |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: DE Ref legal event code: R096 Ref document number: 602016027446 Country of ref document: DE |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: NL Ref legal event code: FP |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: LT Ref legal event code: MG4D |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: CZ Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200101 Ref country code: PT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200527 Ref country code: FI Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200101 Ref country code: LT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200101 Ref country code: RS Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200101 Ref country code: NO Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200401 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: BG Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200401 Ref country code: LV Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200101 Ref country code: SE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200101 Ref country code: HR Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200101 Ref country code: GR Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200402 Ref country code: IS Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200501 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: DE Ref legal event code: R097 Ref document number: 602016027446 Country of ref document: DE |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: ES Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200101 Ref country code: SM Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200101 Ref country code: EE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200101 Ref country code: DK Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200101 Ref country code: RO Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200101 Ref country code: SK Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200101 |
|
PLBE | No opposition filed within time limit |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261 |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: AT Ref legal event code: MK05 Ref document number: 1218710 Country of ref document: AT Kind code of ref document: T Effective date: 20200101 |
|
26N | No opposition filed |
Effective date: 20201002 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: AT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200101 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: PL Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200101 Ref country code: SI Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200101 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: MC Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200101 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: CH Ref legal event code: PL |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: LU Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20201116 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: BE Ref legal event code: MM Effective date: 20201130 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: LI Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20201130 Ref country code: CH Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20201130 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: IE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20201116 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: TR Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200101 Ref country code: MT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200101 Ref country code: CY Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200101 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: MK Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200101 Ref country code: AL Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20200101 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: BE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20201130 |
|
PGFP | Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: NL Payment date: 20231020 Year of fee payment: 8 |
|
PGFP | Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: GB Payment date: 20231019 Year of fee payment: 8 |
|
PGFP | Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: IT Payment date: 20231019 Year of fee payment: 8 Ref country code: FR Payment date: 20231019 Year of fee payment: 8 Ref country code: DE Payment date: 20231019 Year of fee payment: 8 |