ES2641046T3 - Improvements in or related to refrigerated display devices - Google Patents

Abstract

A shelf assembly (20) with ducts comprising: at least one support (68) that can be engaged with support formations of a display apparatus to retain the shelf assembly at a desired height against a wall (26) of the display apparatus; a supply duct element (22, 50) comprising a discharge air grid (36) for projecting cold air in front of the supply conductive element such as an air curtain (34) and a supply connector (54) for communication with the supply lift duct at the rear edge of the supply lead; and a return duct element (24,52) comprising a return air grill (38) for receiving air in front of the return duct element from an air curtain and a return connector (56) for communication with the return lift duct at the rear edge of the return duct element; wherein the supply conduit element and the return conduit element are separated from each other and separated from and positioned on the support, with the return conduit element that can be removably placed on top of the supply duct element, the duct elements are then supported by the support.

Description

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DESCRIPTION

Improvements in or related to refrigerated display devices

This invention relates to refrigerated display devices, exemplified in this specification by refrigerated multi-storey cabinets or cabinets that are used in commercial premises for storage in fno, exhibition and marketing of food products and frozen or frozen beverages.

This invention is not limited to marketing of food and beverage cabinets. For example, the principles of the invention can be used to display other items that require storage in fno, such as medicines or scientific items that may be prone to degradation. However, the principles of the invention are particularly advantageous for retail use.

It is well known to adjust the articulated or sliding glass doors towards the front of a refrigerated display cabinet. In teona, but unfortunately not in practice, the fno air is kept behind the doors, avoiding the 'fno insulation smdrome' caused by the fno air that is poured from the open front of the cabinet in a corridor of said cabinets in commercial premises Apart from causing shoppers discomfort, the aisle smdrome wastes no energy in keeping cabinets and in hot business premises.

Equip a refrigerated display cabinet with doors that have key disadvantages in a retail environment. The doors place a barrier between the buyer and the items displayed, which can reduce sales very significantly. The doors also create a barrier and additional work, for personnel who have the obligation to resupply, clean and maintain the cabinets, which significantly helps the indirect costs of wholesale. Also, wider aisles may be needed to allow shoppers to open doors and drive carts, which reduces the return on sales per square meter of commercial space. Additionally, heat may need to be applied to the doors to reduce fogging and the mist that follows the open door, which increases energy consumption.

Despite incurring these significant disadvantages, the doors do not work effectively to retain good air for the simple reason that buyers and staff in full commercial premises will open the doors frequently and occasionally for extended periods. Whenever the doors are open, dense air does not escape. The air lost from inside the cabinet will inevitably be replaced by ambient air. Consequently, under real conditions, the addition of doors to a cabinet does not significantly improve energy consumption, temperature control and ambient air intake.

The entry of ambient air is undesirable during the operation of any refrigerated display apparatus. The heat of the ambient air that enters increases the refrigeration work and therefore the energy consumption of the apparatus. The moisture that the air carries causes condensation, which also leads to ice formation. Ugly, unsightly, and unpleasant condensation for buyers can jeopardize the reliable operation of the device and promotes microbial activity that, like all life, requires the presence of water. Additionally, the ambient air that enters will contain microbes, dust and other undesirable contaminants.

Specifically, when the ambient air that is hot and humidity enters the cabinet, heats the items stored inside the cabinet and deposits moisture on them as condensation. Hotter temperatures and higher humidity levels promote microbial activity, which reduces shelf life, produces odors, promotes fungal growth and can cause food poisoning.

Buyers like multi-storey display cabinets open to the front without doors, such as cabinets that provide unobstructed access so that items on display can be easily viewed, accessed and removed for closer inspection and purchase. Merchants also like such cabinets because it allows them to display a wide range of products clearly and can be easily accessed by buyers, with reduced maintenance costs and better use of commercial floor space.

Normally, refrigerated display cabinets open to the front employ a large curtain of projected downward chilled air that extends between the discharge and return air terminals from the top to the bottom over an access opening defined by the front face open cabinet. The purposes of the air curtain are two: seal the access opening in an effort to prevent air from escaping from the back of the product display space; and removes heat from the exhibition space of the product that is obtained radiantly through the access opening and through the infiltration of the ambient air into the product exhibition space.

A conventional air curtain requires high speed to remain stable long enough to seal the cabinet access opening. However, unfortunately high speed increases the input rate

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of ambient air in the air curtain. The entry of ambient air leads to the infiltration of the ambient air into the product's exhibition space and helps to spill free air from the device. Also, a high velocity air flow is not pleasant for a buyer to reach through the access to the product display space behind the air curtain.

Additional cooling air is normally supplied through a perforated rear panel behind the product display space of the cabinet. That additional cooling air is purged from the ducts that supply the air curtain to provide more cooling at each level within that space and to support the air curtain. This allows the speed of the air curtain to be reduced and in this way the rate of entry of ambient air is reduced. However, even with measures such as back panel flow, conventional cabinets can suffer from entrapment rates of ambient air as high as 80% in real conditions, causing excess energy consumption and uncomfortably thin aisles.

The back panel flow has the disadvantage that the thinnest air blows over the smallest objects on the back of the shelves, which are subject to the lowest heat gain because they are farther from the access opening. This undesirably increases the temperature dispersion through the items stored in the product display space. In this regard, it is vital that airtight temperature control is maintained throughout the product display space of the cabinet. Hotter regions of a cabinet than the desired temperature will suffer from faster food degradation. In contrast, cabinet regions larger than the desired temperature may have a cycle above and below the freezing point, again promoting faster food degradation.

The levels within a refrigerated display cabinet are normally defined by one or more shelves, which may for example comprise solid or perforated panels or open baskets. The shelves divide the interior of the cabinet into a stack of two or more smaller product display spaces. The shelves and their exhibition spaces of associated products can also be divided into columns side by side. Each product display space is accessible through a respective open front access opening. Specifically, each shelf defines an upper access opening above the shelf and a lower access opening below the shelf that provides access to refrigerated items in exhibition spaces of respective products in a storage volume fno above and below the shelf. shelf.

Various proposals have been made to conduct air through the shelves of refrigerated display cabinets, to and / or outlets and / or inlets positioned forward on the shelf, to generate or support air curtains. The goal is to help an air curtain seal the open front of the cabinet more effectively, improving temperature control and reducing the infiltration of ambient air.

In the applicant's prior patent application published as WO 2011/121284, at least one discharge outlet positioned forward communicates with a supply conduit for projecting air as a curtain of air through an access opening. At least one return inlet positioned forward communicates with a return duct to receive air from the air curtain. When the air curtain conventionally flows down from the top to the bottom, the discharge outlet projects air like a curtain of air through the lower access opening below the shelf and the return inlet receives the air from the other air curtain discharged above the shelf through the upper access opening above the shelf.

It is possible, but unconventional, for an air curtain to flow up through an access opening from the bottom to the top. In that case, the discharge outlet projects air fno as an air curtain through the upper access opening and the air inlet receives air from another air curtain discharged below the shelf through the lower opening. The present invention also encompasses this possibility.

WO 2011/121284 teaches a shelf with ducts whose front structure comprises a discharge opening that is oriented down or exit and a return opening that is oriented up or inlet. Each of those openings extends parallel to the front of the shelf and communicates with a respective duct stacked on top of each other on the shelf or resting side by side on the shelf to supply air at the outlet and receive air from the entrance.

Document GB 950.480 discloses another shelf with ducts. The front part of a shelf with ducts comprises a discharge opening that is oriented downwards and a return opening that is oriented upwards, each communicating with a respective duct stacked one on top of the other in the shelf. Air flow handling features include baffles, riser tubes and flow rectifiers that are associated with these openings to ensure good performance of the air curtain.

By their nature, ducted shelves comprise more components than ductless shelves and therefore tend to be considerably more bulky and heavy. This presents challenges during installation, adjustment and maintenance if large and heavy assemblies must be maneuvered and lifted. For example, the

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Driving and safety guidelines in the driving manual dictate that male workers can lift no more than 20 kg at or above elbow height, even near the body. This is reduced to 5 kg when the arms extend at or above shoulder height. These limits are even lower for women workers.

The requirement for additional workers to lift equipment to handle heavier shelves increases the cost of operation and makes installation, adjustment and maintenance operations long and complicated. Consequently, a disincentive remains to adjust the height or position of the shelves with ducts or to keep the displays properly refrigerated, since the shelves may need to be removed for cleaning or for service or replacement of other parts.

There is a need for shelves with ducts that are easy to install, adjust and maintain, while they are economical, effective and even simple to assemble and disassemble.

It is against this background that the present invention is provided.

In one aspect, the invention resides in a shelf assembly with ducts according to the attached claim 1.

The assembly may additionally comprise an upper shelf component, which may comprise an upper shelf plate that covers the, or each, duct element.

The upper shelf component may comprise a front shelf band that is loosened, heated or has low thermal conductivity and that is arranged to cover a leading edge of, or each, the conduit element.

The assembly comprises a supply duct element and a return duct element.

Advantageously, the assembly comprises separate upper and lower supports, each can be hooked separately with support formations to retain the shelf assembly at a desired height against a wall of an exhibition apparatus, in which the conduit element is separated From and can be positioned between the lower support and the upper support, the conduit element is then supported by the lower support and retained by the upper support.

Preferably, the lower support and the upper support can be hooked separately and successively with the support formations after assembly of the structure against the wall. Also, the supply duct element and the return duct element are preferably in face-to-face relationship in layers and are held together by upper and lower supports.

Conveniently, the upper supports can be positioned above the conduit element and / or the lower supports can be positioned below the conduit element comprising sealing elements arranged to seal against the wall of the display apparatus. The, or each of the sealing elements is substantially arranged to seal against the, or each, of the conduit elements, and preferably have a wall that extends vertically to a degree that allows sealing against the wall of the apparatus of exhibition so that it is maintained if a support with support formations is hooked on a different level in the wall.

The invention extends to a shelf curtain air display unit with ducts, comprising at least one shelf assembly with ducts of the invention. The unit suitably comprises an open front cabinet that has an exhibition space joined by a vertical wall, the wall of which is disposed between the exhibition space and at least one riser tube conduit for the supply and / or return of air ; in which:

the duct shelf can be selectively located in the exhibition space at a different height in relation to the vertical wall and communicates with the lift duct by hooking a shelf connector through at least one port in the vertical wall;

the port is vertically deeper than the shelf connector so that the shelf can be relocated vertically with the connector that remains in communication with the lift duct through the port after relocation; Y

A sealing element can be relocated with the shelf to extend between the shelf and the vertical wall, the sealing element is superimposed on an edge of the port to close a part of the port not closed by the connector.

The unit of the invention suitably comprises an upper seal element that extends above the shelf to above an upper edge of the port and a lower seal element that extends below the shelf to below a lower edge of the port. . Elegantly, the unit can be disposed of

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such that the engagement of a support with the vertical wall presses the sealing element against the vertical wall.

The concept of the invention extends to a method of assembling a duct shelf assembly according to claim 1, in an exhibition apparatus, comprising:

joining a first support to a vertical wall that joins an exhibition space of the apparatus; Y

placing a supply duct element and a return duct element on the first support attached to the wall.

The method of the invention preferably further comprises attaching a second support to the vertical wall to retain the, or each, of the conduit elements in the first support. The supply and return conduit elements can be stacked on the first support before joining the second support to the vertical wall.

Preferably, the duct element is coupled to a lifting duct of the apparatus through a port in the vertical wall.

Seals can be made between the first support and the vertical wall and between the first support and the other or each duct element. Seals can also be made between the second support and the or each conduit element, and between the second support and the vertical wall. Elegantly, the seals can be made simply by assembling together a support and the conduit element on the vertical wall.

In order for the invention to be more easily understood, reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side sectional view of a refrigerated display apparatus, taken in line I-I of Figure

2;

Figure 2 is a top sectional view of the apparatus of Figure 1, taken on line II-II of Figure 1;

Figure 3a is an exploded side view of a supply duct component and a return duct component of a shelf with ducts of the apparatus;

Figure 3b is a side view of the supply duct component and the return duct component assembled;

Figure 4a is an exploded top view of the supply duct component and the return duct component;

Figure 4b is a top view of the supply duct component and the return duct component assembled;

Figure 5 is a magnified detail view of how the duct components of the pair of shelves with lifting ducts of the apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 6 is a magnified view in detail corresponding to Figure 5 and showing how the shelf is supported by key bars of the apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figures 7a to 7d are sectional side views of a refrigerated display apparatus according to the invention, showing various shelf configurations enabled of the invention;

Figures 8 to 12 are a series of side views in magnified detail showing the steps involved in assembling a shelf with ducts of the invention;

Figure 13 is a side view in magnified detail showing how the shelf with ducts of the invention can be adjusted for height while remaining sealed to the lifting ducts of the apparatus; Y

Figure 14 is a perspective view of a variant of a lower support.

Referring first to Figure 1, this shows a refrigerated integrated multicellular display apparatus 10. The apparatus 10 has an evaporator 12 mounted on the bottom loaded with air by means of supply fans 14, although other arrangements for the production and circulation of air are possible. Here, the evaporator air 12 is supplied to a plurality of cells 16A, 16B, 16C managed by air flow that are stacked in a vertical matrix or column and all are arranged within a single insulated cabinet 18. In this example, there are three cells in the stack, namely an upper cell 16A, an internal cell 16B, and a lower cell 16C.

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Cells 16A, 16B, 16C are separated here by two shelves 20 with ducts constructed in accordance with the invention. Cells 16A, 16B, 16C can be of different height and can be arranged to store items at different temperatures to reflect the storage requirements for various items. The shelves 20 can be fixed, but they can be adjusted in height in this example, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 1, such that the relative height of the cells 16a, 16B, 16C can be adapted to suit Different business requirements.

The shelves 20 with ducts each comprise an intercalation of a supply conduit 22 and a return conduit 24. The shelves 20 are subdivided into the internal volume of the cabinet 18 into a plurality of product display spaces stacked one above the other, each in its own cell 16A, 16B, 16C managed by air flow. Each shelf 20 defines an upper wall of a lower cell in the stack and the lower wall of an adjacent upper cell in the stack.

The upper wall of the upper cell 16A is defined by an additional supply conduit 22 above the upper inner panel of the cabinet 18. Similarly, the lower wall of the lower cell 16C is defined by an additional return conduit 24 below. of a lower inner panel of the cabinet 18 that also serves as an additional shelf for the display of refrigerated elements. Advantageously, the additional supply conduit 22 and the additional return conduit 24 may be identical to that used in the shelves 20.

At their lateral and rear edges, the shelves 20 with ducts are located closely against the rear inner panel 26 and the side walls 28 of the cabinet 18, to discourage the flow of air around those edges of the shelves 20. The seals can be provided along those edges of the shelves 20 if required.

Figure 1 also shows intermediate shelves 30 without optional ducts, one at an intermediate level in each cell 16A, 16B, 16C and reattached from the front of the shelves 20 with ducts, to facilitate the display of different types of food products and make better use of available space. One or more intermediate shelves 30 can be perforated or grooved to improve air movement in cells 16A, 16B, 16C. The intermediate shelves 30 need not be sealed again against the inner rear panel 26 or the 28 side walls of the cabinet 18.

Each cell 16A, 16B, 16C is generally in the form of a hollow box or cuboid that encloses a product display space with corresponding shape. The front access openings 32 give unimpeded access to any item in the product display space defined by cells 16A, 16B, 16C.

In use, each access opening access 32 is sealed by a generally vertical air curtain 34 that flows down in front of the associated cell 16A, 16B, 16C. The air curtain 34 extends between the discharge air grille (DAG) that is oriented downwards or the discharge terminal 36 and a return air grille (RAG) that is oriented upwards or return terminal 38. Refrigerated air is supplied through a supply conduit 22 to the DAG 36, which projects the air curtain 34, and is returned through the return conduit 24 through the RAG 38, which receives air from the air curtain 34. The air received from the air curtain 34 will inevitably include some trapped ambient air from which it must be removed, heat and humidity during the recirculation inside the apparatus 10, although the arrangement illustrated greatly reduces the input rate compared to the designs standard.

Referring now also to FIG. 2 of the drawings, the supply conduits 22 and the return conduits 24 communicating in the front with the DAG 36 and RAG 38 respectively communicate in the rear with the conduits 40, 42 , respective elevators, namely a supply elevator conduit 40 and a return elevator conduit 42. The elevator ducts 40, 42 extend upwardly between the inner rear panel 26 and the adjacent insulated rear wall of the cabinet 18.

In the example shown in Figure 2, a supply booster line 40 is disposed between two return booster lines 42. Figure 2 also shows shelves 20 with ducts and ducts 40, 42 elevators of two cell columns 16 arranged side by side in the common insulated cabinet 18, divided here by a vertical part 44 which is suitably made of transparent material, such as tempered glass or perspex, for ease of observation.

At its rear edge, part 44 is located closely against, and preferably sealed to, the inner rear panel 26. The portion 44 extends from the rear inner panel 26 substantially the full depth of the shelves 20 from the front to the rear. Preferably, as shown, part 44 extends slightly forward from the front edges of the shelves 20. Part 44 prevents exhaust air from flowing from one column to the next by possibly interrupting the dynamics of the cell air curtain adjacent.

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The leading edge regions of part 44 and the shelves 20 can be insulated and / or heated to combat condensation. It is also possible for the leading edge regions of the part 44 and the shelves 20 to be of a low conductivity material and / or have a light emitting finish.

If the shelves 20 of the neighboring columns are aligned, part 44 can be removed to increase the effective display area.

Another feature shown in Figure 2 is that each column has a pair of key bars 46 that extend vertically on the outer sides of the return riser ducts 42. The key bars 46 support the weight of the shelves 20 and provide a vertical groove matrix in which the spikes on the back of a shelf 20 can be located at any suitable height.

In use of the apparatus 10, the fno air is conducted from the evaporator 12 to each cell 16A, 16B, 16C and the hottest return air is returned from each cell 16A, 16B, 16C to the coil 14 for cooling, drying, filtering optional and recirculation.

The air is blown through the evaporator 12 by the fans 14 and then propelled up the central supply elevator duct 40. From ad, the air enters the supply ducts 22 in the shelves 20 with ducts and in the upper part of the cabinet 18 which is projected as a stack of air curtains 34 through the RAG36, one per cell 16A, 16B, 16C . The return air of the air curtains 34 returns through the RAG 38 and the return ducts 24 of the shelves 20 and at the bottom of the cabinet 18, to enter the return riser ducts 42 on each side of the duct 40 central supply elevator. Return airs flow down those return riser ducts 42 under fan suction 14 to enter evaporator 12 again.

The requirement for air flow to the shelves 20 ducts requires ports 48 in the rear inner panel 26 which leads to the supply elevator duct 40 and the return elevator ducts 42. Various port arrangements are disclosed in WO 2011/121285 and thus do not need further elaboration here. For now, it is sufficient to observe that those ports 48 are separated into vertical matrices aligned with vertically extending supply lines 40 and return risers 42, which allow the shelves 20 to be removed and optionally relocated to different heights. Advantageously, those ports 48 open only when a shelf 20 is coupled with them to reduce unwanted leakage of air into the cabinet 18. Again, WO 2011/121285 discloses ways in which ports 48 can be closed when they are not in use; Other provisions are described in parallel patent applications filed by the applicant.

Referring then to Figures 3a, 3b, 4a and 4b, these show how to separate the supply and the return or supply conduit components or elements 50, 52 respectively that are assembled to form a shelf 20 with conduits shown in Figures 1 and 2. The return supply duct components 50, 52 are structures similar to hollow plates that rest together in face-to-face relationship as a part of a shelf 20 with ducts.

The return supply conduit components 50, 52 have return supply connectors 54, 56 respectively at their rear edges for connection with respective risers 40, 42 of the apparatus 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2. Specifically, the connectors 54 , 56 are vertically elongated extensions projecting backwards of the duct components 50, 52. Connectors 54, 56 employ inclined or curved amplification connections to promote even air flow and minimize static pressure losses. The blade connections 58 on the back of the connectors 54, 56 facilitate a connection arrangement between the connectors 54, 56 and their lifting ducts 40, 42 as will be described below in relation to Figure 5.

The extensions of the components 50, 52 of the respective conduit define the connectors 54, 56 that are laterally offset in order to be located side by side and at the same general horizontal level. Specifically, the supply connector 54 is nested between the return connectors 56 when the conduit components 50, 52 are assembled together in face-to-face relationship as shown in Figures 3b and 4b.

Curved or inclined transition sections between duct components 50, 52 and connectors 54, 56 promote uniform air flow and minimize static pressure losses such as air flows through a throat 60 of reduced duct cross-sectional area . This throat 60 creates a relatively high static pressure, which is desirable to balance air flows between shelves. The high-speed contractions defined by the throats 60 and the lateral offset of the connectors 54, 56 reduce the duct sizes and help make the air flow more uniform.

Figure 5 shows how the blade connections 58 at the back of the connectors 54, 56 are connected to the risers 40, 42 elevators to couple their conduits 40, 42 elevators to the supply and return conduits 22, 24 of a 20 shelf with ducts. The blade connections 58 have elasticity that helps them

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to be sealed against the side walls 62 of the ducts 40, 42 when the blade connections 58 slide in place.

Figure 5 also shows one of the pair of key bars 46 that extend vertically on the outer sides of the return elevator ducts 42 to support the weight of the shelves 20. That key bar 46 is also shown in Figure 6, which corresponds to Figure 5 but additionally shows a pin 64 that projects backwards from the shelf 20 and is engaged with a groove in the key bar 46. Preferably the key bar 46 provides a vertical array of grooves in which the pins 64 of a shelf 20 can be located at any suitable height to allow the heights of the shelves 20 to be adjusted as required.

Symmetry, balance and air tightness are important aspects of cells 16A, 16B, 16C, managed by air flow used in the invention. Symmetry increases to a considerable extent from the advantageous modularity of the design. In relation to equilibrium, the tests have shown that the losses of static pressure in the ducts 40, 42 vertical elevators are insignificant compared to the losses of static pressure in the shelves 20 with ducts and in the throats 60 that lead or within the shelves 20. Therefore, the relative positions of different shelves 20 along their elevator ducts 40, 42 will have little to contribute to the balance of the system. This means that the air flow will be substantially equal to and from each shelf 20 independent of its vertical position along the elevator ducts 40, 42.

Turning now to Figures 7a to 7d, shelves 20 with ducts can be moved from the middle position by more or less 50 mm in these examples. This enables various shelf configurations, some of which are illustrated here.

Specifically, Figure 7a shows a total of six shelves comprising a shelf 20 with upper duct and a shelf 20 with lower duct, each shown here in middle positions, plus three intermediate shelves 30, one per cell 16A, 16B, 16C, plus a lower shelf 66 defined by the lower inner panel of the cabinet 18.

In Fig. 7b, there are four shelves comprising a shelf 20 with upper duct in an elevated position and a shelf 20 with lower duct in a lower position to maximize the depth of the inner cell 16B, plus an intermediate shelf 30 in that cell 16b internal, but lower shelf 66. Thus, upper cell 16A and lower cell 16C do not contain intermediate shelves 30 in this example.

Figure 7c shows five shelves, comprising the lower shelf 66 plus a shelf 20 with upper ducts in a lower position and a shelf 20 with lower ducts with an elevated position. This minimizes the depth of the internal cell 16B and maximizes the depth of the upper cell 16A and the lower cell 16C. In this example, upper cell 16A and lower cell 16C contain intermediate shelves 30 but internal cell 16B does not.

Similarly, Figure 7a, Figure 7d show a total of six shelves, namely a shelf 20 with upper duct and a shelf 20 with lower duct, plus three intermediate shelves 30, one per cell 16A, 16B, 16C, plus a 66 lower shelf. However, in this example the shelf 20 with upper duct and the shelf 20 with lower duct each is shown in an elevated position to maximize the depth of the lower cell 16C.

Figure 8 shows a lower support 68 that joins in front of the rear inner panel 26 that conceals the elevator ducts 40, 42. The lower support 68 comprises L-shaped side clamps inverted in the side view, comprising a horizontal arm 70 to support other components of a shelf 20 with ducts and a vertical leg 72 that fixes the lower support 68 to the key bars 46 shown in Figures 5 and 6. For this purpose, leg 72 has a vertical matrix of hook-like swords that open downwardly projecting backwards that serve as spikes 64 to fit into the grooves of the key bars 46.

The lower support 68 comprises two side clamps, one on each side of the shelf 20, connected by an elastic bottom seal plate 74 to form a unique manufactured article that can be engaged in the key bars 46 through the pins 64. Lower seal plate 74 has a vertical lower part 76 that is integral with an upper part 78, which tilts forward and upward.

Figure 8 shows a port 80 provided in the rear inner panel 26 that leads to the riser ducts 40.42. When the lower supports 68 are connected to the key bars 46, the lower seal plate 74 overlaps the lower edge of the port 80. In this way, the lower part 76 of the lower seal plate 74 is sealed against the inner panel 26 rear immediately below port 80.

Next, Figure 9 shows the supply duct component 50 that are placed on the arms 70 of the lower supports 68. The supply connector 54 at the rear of the component 50 with supply conduit is coupled to the elevator supply conduit 40 through the blade connections 58 at the rear of the connector 54 as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The connector supply 54 has a face 82

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bottom which slopes up and forward and seals against the similarly inclined upper portion 78 of the seal plates 74.

Figure 10 shows the next stage in the assembly process, namely the addition of the return duct component 52 that is placed on top of the supply duct component 50. The return connector 56 on the back of the return conduit component 52 is located next to the supply connector of the supply conduit component, and is similarly coupled to the elevator supply conduit 42 through the connections 58 blade on the back of connector 56. The return connector 56 also has a lower face 84 that tilts up and forward and also seals against the upper portion 78 of the seal plate 74.

Figures 11 and 12 show the addition of the final component of the shelf 20 with ducts, namely an upper support 86. The upper support 86 comprises two lateral clamps, each L-shaped in the side view, one on each side of the shelf 20. Each clamp comprises a horizontal arm 88 that supports a horizontal upper tray 90 extending between the upper supports 86 and It covers the entire shelf 20 and a vertical element 92 that fixes the upper support 86 to the key bars 46 shown in Figures 5 and 6. For this purpose, the vertical element 92 has a vertical array of cam-type swords that open upwards and projecting towards serving as spikes 64 to fit in the grooves the key bars 46.

The side clamps of the upper support 86 are also connected by a vertical elastic upper seal plate 94 to form a single manufactured article that can be engaged in the key bars 46 through the pins 64. When the upper support 86 is connected to the key bars 46, the upper seal plate 94 overlaps the upper edge of the port 80. In this way, the upper seal plate 94 is sealed against the rear inner panel 26 immediately above the port 80.

The tray 90 has a transparent, suitably perspex front 96 and supports a front finisher 98 that is shaped to fit around the leading edges of the return duct component 52 and the supply duct component 50 below. Finisher 98 is properly flattened, heated or has low thermal conductivity in order to combat condensation.

The rear of the tray 90 is also seen from above in Figure 6, near a space in the front of the key bar 46. The flexible sides of the tray 90 help seal the air inside a cell 16A, 16B, 16C that is partially defined by the shelf of 20.

Figure 13 shows how the shelf 20 can be adjusted vertically by moving the pins 64 within different levels of slots in the key bars 46. Here, the upper support 86 has not been equipped but the lower support 68 is in place, together with the supply duct component 50 and the return duct component 52. The shelf 20 is shown here adjusted to an elevated position with respect to the rear inner panel 26. It will be apparent that between the over position of the lower seal plate 74 and the rear inner panel 26 below the port 80 has been reduced but that a seal has been maintained between the lower seal plate 74 and the rear inner plate 26. When the upper support 86 is adjusted, there will be an over-position increase between the upper seal plate 94 and the rear inner panel 26 above the port 80. Again, therefore, a seal will be maintained between the seal plate 94 upper and inner rear plate 26 above port 80.

The over position between the upper seal plate 94 and the rear inner panel 26 above the port 80 is sufficient to allow the shelf 20 to be adjusted in a reduced position while maintaining the seal between the upper seal plate 94 and the panel 26 internal rear above port 80.

Finally, Figure 14 shows a variant 100 of the lower support 68, which has transverse elements 102 extending between the arms 70 and the legs 72 of the lateral clamps 102. This view omits the lower seal plate for reasons of clarity. Normally the loading design for supermarket shelves is of the order of 250 kg / m2 to take the weight of bottles, cartons and other heavy items that can be packed tightly on them. Accordingly, the transverse elements 102 provide structural integrity to meet the demands placed on the shelves in a supermarket environment.

The main components of the shelf 20 are suitably made of lightweight gauge materials of minimal thickness, using bending and folding to achieve strength, stiffness and straightness. While you can use light steel painted for the part mayona manufactured, you can use aluminum for adjustable or removable shelves to reduce their weight and in order to make them lighter to handle manually.

By virtue of the invention, a shelf with heavy and potentially bulky ducts is broken down into easily manipulable elements that can, in effect, be sequentially hung at a desired location and height on a wall of the display apparatus. Placing the lower support creates a platform for the conduit elements added later. This facilitates the operation of installation, reduces the risk of injury to workers or damage to equipment and preferably avoids the need for additional labor to lift the device.

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The advantage of the invention is observed not only during installation but also during the adjustment of the position or height of a shelf during maintenance, disassembly and removal. The disassembly of the shelf is a simple inverse process that allows easy access to and replacement of components. The disassembly also divides the weight of the shelf into easily handled components that can be quickly reassembled to a desired alternate position or height.

Many variations are possible within the inventive concept as defined by the appended claims. For example, in other examples that have more than three cells in the stack, there will be more than one internal cell and more than two shelves with ducts; on the contrary, when there are only two cells in the stack, there will be no internal cell and only one shelf with ducts.

One or both side walls of the cabinet can be transparent to improve the visibility of the items exhibited in the product display spaces, in which case the side walls are suitably tempered glass and double or triple glazed to maintain a degree of insulation.

The necessary apparatus does not have an internal cooling motor if no air is produced anywhere, for example, in a remote fan coil unit and is pumped into the apparatus. In this way, the refrigerator motor can be introduced into the cabinet as an integral unit or the refrigeration can be supplied remotely from a typical supermarket package refrigeration unit. Local refrigeration needs a drainage system for condensed water.

To deal with any condensation that may form on a shelf with ducts, such shelves may be provided with drains to collect moisture and drain it away. For example, a return duct on a shelf with ducts can be tilted down and back to fall toward the back of the cabinet, where it can carry water to a drainage system provided so that the evaporator rejects water from the cabinet .

If used in the appliance, the cooling coils and fans can be located behind the cells, but can instead be located on the top, bottom or sides of the cells.

Claims (15)

5 10 fifteen twenty 25 30 35 40 Four. Five fifty 55 60 65 1. A shelf assembly (20) with ducts comprising: at least one support (68) that can be engaged with support formations of an exhibition apparatus to retain the shelf assembly at a desired height against a wall (26) of the display apparatus; a supply duct element (22, 50) comprising a discharge air grid (36) for projecting fno air in front of the supply conductive element such as an air curtain (34) and a supply connector (54) for communication with the supply lift duct at the rear edge of the supply conductor element; Y a return duct element (24,52) comprising a return air grill (38) for receiving air in front of the return duct element from an air curtain and a return connector (56) for communication with the return lift duct at the rear edge of the return duct element; wherein the supply duct element and the return duct element are separated from each other and separated from and positioned on the support, with the return duct element that can be removably placed on the top of the supply duct element, the duct elements are then supported by the support. 2. The assembly of claim 1, comprising an upper shelf component, optionally wherein the upper shelf component comprises an upper shelf plate that overlaps the duct elements. 3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the upper shelf component comprises a front shelf band that is insulated, heated or of low conductivity and is arranged to cover a leading edge of at least one of the elements duct 4. The assembly of any preceding claim and comprising the separate upper and lower supports, each is separately engaged with support formations to retain the shelf assembly at a desired height against a wall of an exhibition apparatus, in the that the duct elements are separated from and can be positioned between the upper support and the lower support, the conduit elements are then supported by the lower support and retained by the upper support. 5. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the lower support and the upper support are engaged separately and successively with the support formations on the mounting of the structure against the wall, optionally in which the supply conductor element and the return conducting element are in face-to-face relationship in layers and held together by the upper and lower supports. 6. The assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the upper supports can be positioned above the conductive elements and / or the lower supports can be positioned below the conduit elements comprising seal elements arranged to seal against the wall of the display apparatus, optionally in which the, or each of the seal elements is arranged to seal against at least one of the conduit elements. 7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the, or each of the sealing elements has a wall that extends vertically to a degree that allows sealing against the wall of the display apparatus that is maintained if a support is engaged with the support formations on a different level on the wall. 8. A shelf curtain air display unit with ducts, comprising at least one shelf assembly with ducts of any preceding claim. 9. The unit of claim 8, comprising an open front cabinet having an exhibition space joined by a vertical wall, that wall is disposed between the exhibition space and the elevating ducts for the supply and return of air; in which the shelf with ducts can be selectively located in the exhibition space at different heights relative to the vertical wall and communicates with the lifting ducts by hooking the shelf connectors through the vertical wall ports; the ports are vertically deeper than the estate connectors in such a way that the shelf can be relocated vertically with the connectors that remain in communication with the elevating ducts through the ports after relocation; Y 5 10 fifteen twenty 25 30 35 A sealing element that can be relocated with the shelf to extend between the shelf and the vertical wall, the sealing element overlaps the edges of the ports to close the portions of the ports not closed by the connectors. 10. The unit of claim 9 and comprising an upper sealing element that extends above the shelf to above the upper edges of the ports and a lower sealing element that extends below the shelf to below the bottom edges of the ports. 11. The unit of claim 9 or claim 10 and arranged in such a way that the engagement of a support with the wall presses the sealing element against the vertical wall. 12. A method of assembling a shelf assembly with ducts according to claim 1, in an exhibition apparatus, comprising: joining a first support (68) to a vertical wall (26) that joins an exhibition space of the apparatus; Y placing a supply duct element (22, 50) and a return duct element (24, 52) on the first support attached to the wall. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising joining a second support to the vertical wall to retain the conduit elements in the first support. 14. The method of claim 12 or claim 13, comprising: (i) coupling the conduit elements to the lifting ducts of the apparatus through the ports in the vertical wall; I (ii) stack the supply and return conduit elements on the first support before attaching the second support to the vertical wall; I (iii) make seals between the first support and the vertical wall and between the first support and the supply duct element. 15. The method of claim 13, part (iii), further comprising making seals between the second support and the return duct element, and between the second support and the vertical wall, optionally wherein said seals are made to the assemble together a support and a conduit element in the vertical wall.