ES2954414T3 - Refrigerator with a door frame and a counterframe - Google Patents

Abstract

This document describes a door (10) for a refrigerator cabinet (1) provided with an access opening (A), said door (10) comprising: a rectangular counterframe (11) fixed to the refrigerator cabinet (1) to at least partially surround the access opening (A), and a panel (12) capable of cooperating with the counterframe (11) to at least partially close the access opening (A) and provided with a plate (13) of material insulator and optically transparent material and with a support frame (14), quadrangular in shape, capable of supporting said plate (13). (Automatic translation with Google Translate, without legal value)

Description

DESCRIPTION

Refrigerator with a door frame and a counterframe

Technical field

The present invention relates to refrigerated cabinets.

Previous technique

Refrigerated cabinets are known, for example, vertical, or provided with vertical shelves, which have a housing body that defines an interior compartment, in which the products that are going to be displayed to the public are positioned and refrigerated and which is accessed through an access opening available in the housing body itself.

A known problem of a refrigerator cabinet of this type is the high heat dispersion due to the fact that the interior compartment of the refrigerator is in communication with the outside environment.

Another known problem of prior art refrigerated cabinets is that each housing body has a specific frame that supports all the panels, as described in document US5255473, said frame having individual vertical uprights between two adjacent transparent panels, each adapted to open and close access to the access opening. This type of structure suffers from the disadvantage of requiring the design of different specific frames for different cabinets. Furthermore, that type of structure makes it difficult, if not impossible, to move the doors from one refrigerator cabinet to another refrigerator cabinet, for example, from an old, small refrigerator cabinet to a new, larger refrigerator cabinet, without the need to design and produce a new frame to hold the transparent panels.

A purpose of the present invention is to solve said problems of the prior art, within a solution that is simple, rational and that has a reduced cost.

Description of the invention

The invention provides a refrigerator cabinet comprising:

- a container body that defines an interior compartment adapted to house products to be refrigerated and provided with an access opening, and

- a plurality of access doors to the interior compartment, placed side by side to cover the access opening, each access door comprising:

• a rectangular counterframe fixed to the container body to partially surround the access opening and comprising a first vertical upright, a second opposite vertical upright, a first horizontal crossbar and a second horizontal crossbar, and

• a panel adapted to cooperate with the counterframe to partially close the access opening and provided with a plate of insulating and optically transparent material and with a support frame, quadrangular in shape, capable of supporting said plate,

in which said panel can be moved between a closed position, in which it rests completely on the counterframe and prevents access to a portion of the access opening subtended to the counterframe, and an access position, in which it is raised by at least partially with respect to the counterframe and allows access to the access opening portion identified by said counterframe,

in which the vertical studs of two adjacent counterframes are in mutual contact and are rigidly fixed to each other.

Thanks to this solution, a modular system of doors can be provided, each with its respective counterframe fixed to the container body of the refrigerated cabinet, where said modular system allows refrigerated cabinets of different lengths to be quickly assembled (that is, having a different number of panels). ) without the need to design and produce a specific frame for each container body that supports all the panels. Furthermore, this solution allows each door from one refrigerator cabinet to be moved to another refrigerator cabinet, for example from an old, small refrigerator cabinet to a new, larger refrigerator cabinet, without the need to design a new frame to hold the transparent panels.

Thanks to this solution, energy waste is reduced, since when a user does not have to remove a product from the cabinet, cold air is prevented from escaping.

According to one aspect, the door may comprise a plate heating apparatus.

In this way, the fogging of the plate is reduced, always ensuring a correct view of the products present in the cabinet.

According to another aspect of the invention, the plate heating apparatus may comprise four independent heating elements, each fixed to a respective side of the counterframe.

In this way, the anti-fog effect is ensured even if one heating element fails, because the plate is still heated by the other heating elements.

Alternatively or additionally, the invention may provide for the plate heating apparatus to comprise four independent heating elements, each fixed to a respective side of the support frame. In particular, each heating element can be connected to a power supply to obtain a parallel circuit with the other heating elements.

According to another aspect of the invention, the panel can be moved between a closed position, in which it prevents access to the access opening part identified by the counterframe, and an access position, in which it allows access to the access opening portion identified by the counterframe, and said plate heating apparatus comprises at least one heating element, fixed to one of the counterframe and the support frame, and a control device configured to interrupt the supply of power to the heating element when the panel is in the access position.

In this way, energy waste is further reduced.

For example, said control device may comprise a switch configured to interrupt the power supply to the heating element when the panel is in the access position.

In this way, control is achieved in a simple, but at the same time reliable way.

Thanks to this solution, energy dispersion can be avoided even in refrigerated cabinets of considerable size, with a simple and modular solution. Furthermore, if heating elements are present, given the use of independent heating elements, the failure of one of these elements in one door does not lead to malfunction in the other doors.

According to one aspect of the invention, the refrigerator cabinet comprises a quick release fastening assembly configured to secure adjacent door frames to each other.

Brief description of the drawings

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will be easily apparent from reading the following description provided on an indicative and non-limiting basis, with the help of the figures illustrated in the attached drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator cabinet.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a refrigerator cabinet according to the invention.

Figure 3 is a detailed view of the refrigerator according to the invention.

Figure 4 is a detailed view of the refrigerator according to the invention.

Figure 5 is a schematic representation of a counterframe of a door of the refrigerator cabinet provided with a heating apparatus.

Detailed description

Referring in particular to the figures, the reference number 1 designates overall a refrigerating cabinet that is provided with a container body that defines an interior compartment V for housing the products to be refrigerated, said interior compartment being in communication with the external environment of the refrigerator cabinet 1 by means of an access opening A.

The refrigerator cabinet 1 is of the vertical type, or has at least one shelf inside the interior compartment V that defines a substantially horizontal support surface.

The refrigerator cabinet 1 comprises a door 10 adapted to selectively, and at least partially, close the access opening A to the interior compartment V.

Said door 10 comprises a counterframe 11 fixed, for example rigidly, to the container body to at least partially surround the access opening A.

The counterframe 11 has a rectangular shape, that is, it has the shape of a rectangular frame that comprises a first vertical upright 111, a second opposite vertical upright 112, a first horizontal crossbar 113 and a second horizontal crossbar 114.

The door 10 also comprises a panel 12 associated with the counterframe, for example articulated to the counterframe 11, and configured to cooperate with the counterframe to at least partially close the access opening. Said panel 12 can be moved between a closed position, in which it rests completely on the counterframe 11 and prevents access to a part of the access opening A subtended to the counterframe, and an access position, in which it is raised by at least partially with respect to the counterframe and allows access to the access opening portion identified by the counterframe.

The panel comprises a plate 13, made of thermally insulating and optically transparent material, and a support frame 14 of the plate.

The support frame 14 is directly associated with the counterframe 11, for example, by means of hinges 15. The support frame 14 has a rectangular shape, that is, it is formed as a rectangular frame that comprises a first vertical upright 141, a second upright 142 opposite vertical, a first horizontal crossbar 143 and a second horizontal crossbar 144.

The panel 12 may comprise a plurality of plates 13 fixed by the support frame 14 to form at least one watertight chamber between the two plates 13 facing each other.

The panel 12 comprises a handle 15 fixed to the support frame 14.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the refrigerator cabinet comprises a plurality of doors 10, which together close the access opening A of the refrigerator cabinet 1.

In practice, the refrigerator cabinet comprises a plurality of back frames 11 positioned side by side along the respective vertical uprights (to globally surround the access opening) and a plurality of panels 12, each associated with a respective back frame. eleven.

The counter frames 11 are fixed to the container body and to each other, for example, the vertical uprights of two adjacent counter frames are in mutual contact and are rigidly fixed to each other, preferably by quick release means. The meaning of the term "quick release means" indicates that no specific tools are needed to be actuated.

In both the example of Figure 1 and the example of Figure 2, each door 10 may comprise a heating apparatus 16.

The heating apparatus 16 comprises at least four independent heating elements 17. The heating apparatus 16 comprises at least four heating elements 17, each of which is electrically connected in parallel with respect to the others to an electrical supply.

In practice, each heating element 17 comprises an electrical resistance and an electrical connector 19 connected independently with respect to the connectors of the other heating elements to a power supply circuit associated with the electrical supply.

The four heating elements 17 may be positioned on the four sides of the counterframe or the support frame.

The heating elements placed on the four sides are shown schematically in Figures 2, 3 and 5, however, they can be provided in all figures.

For example, these heating elements, or the electrical resistances of the heating elements, have an extension substantially equal to that of the respective side of the frame or counterframe.

It is also possible that the heating apparatus 16 may comprise at least eight heating elements 17, of which four are positioned on the four sides of the counterframe 11 and four are positioned on the four sides of the support frame 14.

In particular, the first vertical upright 111, the second vertical upright 112, each of the first horizontal crossbar 113 and the second horizontal crossbar 114 of the counterframe 11 have a seat to house a heating element 17.

Each of the first vertical upright 141, the second vertical upright 142, the first horizontal crossbar 143 and the second horizontal crossbar 144 of the counterframe 12 also have a seat for housing a heating element 17.

The heating apparatus 16 also comprises a control device configured to interrupt the power supply to the heating elements 17 when the panel 12 is detected to be in the access position.

For example, said control device comprises a switch 18 adapted to be interposed between the support frame 14 and the counterframe 11.

In particular, said switch 18 has a part that is integral with the support frame 14 and a part that is integral with the counterframe 11.

Such a switch is, for example, a reed switch that closes in the presence of a magnetic field. However, the switch may be any type of electromechanical or optical switch suitable for this purpose.

The invention conceived in this way is susceptible to many modifications and variants, all of them within the same inventive concept.

In practice, the materials used, as well as their shapes and dimensions, can be of any type in accordance with the technical requirements without, however, deviating from the scope of protection of the following claims.

Claims (9)

1. Refrigerator cabinet (1) comprising: - a container body that defines an internal compartment (V) adapted to house products to be refrigerated and provided with an access opening (A), and - a plurality of access doors (10) to the internal compartment (V), mutually placed side by side to cover the access opening (A), each access door (10) comprising • a rectangular counterframe (11) fixed to the container body to partially surround the access opening (A) and comprising a first vertical upright (111), a second opposite vertical upright (112), a first horizontal crossbar (113) and a second horizontal crossbar (114), and • a panel (12) adapted to cooperate with the counterframe (11) to partially close the access opening (A) and provided with a plate (13) of insulating and optically transparent material and a support frame (14), with quadrangular shape, capable of supporting said plate (13), in which said panel (12) can move between a closed position, in which it rests completely on the counterframe (11) and prevents access to a portion of the access opening (A) subtended to the counterframe, and a position of access, in which it is raised at least partially with respect to the counterframe and allows access to the access opening part identified by the counterframe, characterized in that the vertical uprights of two adjacent counterframes are in mutual contact and are fixed between yes rigidly. 2. Refrigerator cabinet (1) according to claim 1, comprising a quick release fixing assembly configured to fix the counter frames (11) of adjacent doors (10) to each other. 3. Refrigerator cabinet (1) according to claim 2, wherein the vertical uprights of two adjacent counterframes are in mutual contact and are rigidly fixed to each other by quick release means. 4. Refrigerator cabinet (1) according to claim 1, wherein each door comprises a heating apparatus (16) of the plate (13). 5. Refrigerator cabinet (1) according to claim 4, wherein the heating apparatus (16) of the plate (13) comprises four heating elements (17), each independent and fixed to a respective side of the counterframe (11). ). 6. Refrigerator cabinet (1) according to claim 4, wherein the heating apparatus (16) of the plate (13) comprises four heating elements (17), each independent and fixed to a respective side of the support frame (14). 7. Refrigerator cabinet (1) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein each heating element (17) is adapted for connection to an electrical supply so that a circuit is obtained in parallel with the other heating elements (17). ). 8. Refrigerator cabinet (1) according to claim 4, wherein the panel (12) can be moved between a closed position, in which it prevents access to the access opening part (A) identified by the counterframe ( 11), and an access position, in which it allows access to the access opening part (A) identified by the counterframe (11), and in which said heating device (16) of the plate (13) It comprises at least one heating element (17), fixed to one of the counterframe (11) and the support frame (14), and a control device configured to interrupt the power supply to the heating element (17). when the panel (12) is in the access position. 9. Refrigerator cabinet (1) according to claim 8, wherein the control device comprises a switch (18) configured to interrupt the power supply to the heating element (17) when the panel (12) is in the off position. access.