FR2690825A1 - Cabinet for fresh produce display in self-service vending - uses shelves with internal passages to carry cold air streams and slotted front edges to form air curtain. - Google Patents

Abstract

The display has shelves (17) stacked one above the other and extending forward from a common vertical back panel (10). Streams of cold air are circulated through the back panel to each of the shelves, which have internal passages for air circulation. The front edge of each shelf has a slot and a vertical guide (38) to direct the air flow vertically downward to form a curtain of cold air across the front of the shelves. The top edge of the shelves has an inlet to allow collection of cold air delivered from the shelf above. The air passes through a passage in the shelf to rejoin air circulating in the back panel. ADVANTAGE - Provides large open face with efficient cooling.

Description

 The present invention relates to the field of furniture, furnishings, equipment, used in particular in commercial installations, and intended to allow exposure to the sale, in particular in self-service, of fresh products.

 Such furniture includes at least one source of cold fluid, especially cold air; the cold air streams emitted more especially from a higher position, run through the exhibition surfaces, in particular the superimposed shelves, ensuring that fresh products, for example dairy products ready for sale, are kept in good thermal conditions.

 Such furniture can consist of superimposed shelves surmounted by a pediment from which flows, from a linear ramp, an air curtain emitted from the upper ramp and directed downwards; this air curtain aims to create an effect of insulation of the interior space between the shelves so as to avoid excessive thermal exchanges between the general volume of the store, for example the spaces and aisles of circulation of consumers and buyers, and the volume located between the shelves and on which are positioned the fresh products exposed for sale and at the choice of consumers.

 Generally, the distribution of cold air is done by the vertical wall constituting the bottom of the furniture at the same time as by the air curtains arranged vertically in front as previously exposed.

 Devices of this kind currently known are of very limited effectiveness.

 It is indeed natural for the user, that is to say for the operator of the self-service store, to seek above all a configuration which facilitates the grasping of consumers, a grasp which concretizes the act of purchase in the part of a self-service store.

 We are therefore looking for a piece of furniture spread out in height so as to allow a large exhibition area and attract the barge.

 Experience also shows that the air curtain, starting from the upper level of the piece of furniture and in particular from the front part of the ceiling of the piece of furniture thus located overhanging, dilutes quickly along the way and loses its effectiveness well before mid-height of furniture.

 The ideal would be for the air curtain to continue from its upper emission ramp to the lower recovery ramp located in front of the last shelf or the base of the furniture, thus creating a continuous curtain limiting by Consequently, exchanges with the outside environment and to a certain extent partitioning the interior atmosphere of the furniture while ensuring the maintenance of favorable thermal conditions, that is to say a temperature fairly close to 0.

 In addition, the necessary movements of consumers taking the products or passing in the vicinity, as well as the overpressure caused by the blowing of cold air from the rear wall of the cabinet necessarily disturb the beautiful desirable continuity of the air curtain; this is also necessarily disturbed by the significant temperature difference between the general atmosphere of the store, close to 20 and the temperature of the curtain and the volume space of the furniture, close to a few degrees.

 It is understood that under these conditions, the thermal balance of exhibition furniture for fresh products is extremely unfavorable; while maintaining the products at their positive cold temperature should not represent a significant consumption and the consumption resulting only (on the theoretical level of the compensation of the calorific contributions resulting from the losses by the walls and the contributions of calories by the lighting and radiation.

 The invention aims to remedy these drawbacks and realizes a new configuration of a piece of furniture of the specified type ensuring an improved thermal balance, more stable storage conditions for the products while developing the operating surface and the possibilities of exposure. of products offered for sale.

 To this end, the invention relates firstly to a piece of furniture of the type provided for the self-service sale of fresh products and comprising shelves traversed by drafts of cold air and comprising in particular on the front a curtain of air intended to isolate the exhibition space of the furniture from the outside environment, this air curtain being projected from a source of cold air, in particular from a distribution ramp located overhanging and in front of the furniture, the air cold circulating in the furniture and in particular constituting the curtain being .- :: taken up at the base of the furniture in front of the lower shelving to be recycled after passage on a source of cold and the furniture is characterized in that at least one of the shelves comprises - at its front end a distribution ramp capable of emitting a curtain of cold air in the direction of the shelf immediately below.

 And in this embodiment, each shelf is provided with a width such that its front edge comes substantially vertically from the front edge of the ceiling of the furniture, from which escapes the upper air curtain.

 Under these conditions, instead of trying to set up a single air curtain serving the entire front of the piece of furniture in which the shelves are set back, the shelves are extended to a level corresponding substantially to the plumb of the ceiling. where the upper air curtain comes from; and the latter serves the space between the ceiling and the upper shelf; each shelf in turn emitting an air curtain limited to the area separating two shelves. Under these conditions, each curtain serves a limited space until the relay is taken up by the immediately lower air curtain. In this space, shelves of the conventional tray type may possibly be installed.

 The succession of tiered air curtains, but each serving a height limited to the interval between two shelves thus allows a much more effective insulation of the whole piece of furniture.

 Advantageously, each shelf is formed of a hollow structure connected by its rear part to a source of cold pressurized air housed in the rear vertical wall of the cabinet, this hollow structure opening at its front end on a thread ejection ramp cold air directed downwards towards the lower shelf and thus creating an air curtain capable of isolating the interior space located between the two shelves from the middle of the general atmosphere of the store.

 Advantageously and according to a development, each shelf comprises means for taking up and guiding the air streams constituting in particular the curtain of air from the facade and coming from the upper source and oriented towards the space below said shelf.

 In particular, each shelf has openings or continuity solutions in its wall, capable of allowing the evacuation of air streams circulating in the space above said shelf towards the lower space while avoiding the creation of overpressure in this upper space , removal which would be likely to destroy the efficiency of the air curtain serving this upper space.

 Preferably, the evacuation openings consist of elongated openings running along and near the front front edge of each shelf.

 Optionally, the evacuation openings or outlets can be positioned in the rear part in a notch formed in the rear edge of the shelf and thus separating this shelf from the rear vertical wall of the cabinet.

 According to a development of the invention, the front edge of each shelf has a curved and curvilinear profile constituting a surface for picking up and guiding the air streams coming from the upper floor and guided by an upper surface effect downwards and towards the inside of the cabinet by joining the air streams coming from the ejection ramp located on the same shelf.

 According to another form of the invention, each shelf has at its front part, in addition to a diffusion ramp of cold air streams directed downward to constitute an air curtain serving the space below said shelf, a ramp of return connected to a source of vacuum and oriented upwards for the return of the air streams, in particular constituting the air curtain from the upper floor.

 Under these conditions each shelf includes a resumption of the upper air stream and an emission ramp of a lower air stream.

 Advantageously, each shelf is made up of a hollow structure comprising three horizontal sections defining between them two floors, and constituting an upper panel for the exhibition of products, an intermediate panel and a lower panel constituting the ceiling of the lower space, the interval between the upper pan and the intermediate pan constituting a flat pipe leading to the recovery ramp located in the front part of said shelf and oriented upwards, this recovery pipe being connected towards the wall to a source of vacuum, the interval between the intermediate panel and the lower panel forming a flat pipe leading to the emission ramp of the air curtain directed towards the lower floor, this flat pipe being connected to a source of fresh pressurized air located in the rear wall furniture and for this purpose, the vertical bottom of the furniture consists of a double wall defining two capacities, one of which is connected e to a source of cold pressurized air thus supplying the sources of cold air emission, in particular the curtains of cold air, the other capacity being connected to a source of vacuum allowing the return of cold air from recovery ramps, this capacity communicating with the upstream inlet of a cold air central, the air taken from the intermediate space between the shelves being recycled and redistributed under pressure after cooling to the supply lines.

 According to yet another development, the cold air distribution pipes serving the volume defined by the space between two shelves include at least one regulating valve at their connection to the pipes for general supply of cold pressurized air and this valve is slaved to one or more temperature taking probes within this volume, the quantity of cold air supplying said space thus being at each instant proportional to the cooling requirements as detected by said probe (s).

 According to a more particular embodiment, the regulating valves consist of pivoting flaps capable of closing or clearing the connection of the cold air supply to the general source, and the temperature probe consists of a thermostatic bellows controlling thus directly the operation of the shutter.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description which follows and which is given in relation to a particular embodiment presented by way of nonlimiting example with reference to the appended drawings:
- Figure 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a display cabinet of fresh products using the traditional technique;
- Figure 2 shows a partial sectional view of a piece of furniture produced according to a first embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of the production of a shelf in the context of the production of FIG. 2, while
- Figure 4 shows an exploded view of the shelf as shown in Figure 3;
- Figure 5 shows a schematic embodiment of a shelf comprising a guide element on the front of the upper surface type;
- Figure 6 shows a partial sectional view of a piece of furniture produced according to a second embodiment of the invention;
- Figure 7 shows a detailed and schematic view of thermal regulation of an interval between two shelves;
- Figure 8 shows a form of the invention with the cooling and ventilation equipment integrated in the cabinet.

 According to Figure 1, we see that the furniture traditionally consists of an enclosure 1 having a bottom wall 2 surmounted by a ceiling 3 and resting on a base 4. To the bottom wall are reported shelves 5, 6 and 7 supporting the products and which are licked by the air streams released from the perforated rear wall 2 to allow the passage of cold current flowing in the space 2a.

 At the front front part of the ceiling 3 is a ramp 8 for the ejection of parallel air streams constituting a front curtain curtain aiming, as previously exposed, to create a separation limiting the heat exchanges between the interior space of the furniture and the store environment.

 But we see that the air streams quickly lose their kinetic energy and are lost towards the middle of the cabinet in parasitic swirls preventing a continuous separation between the interior space of the cabinet and the atmosphere of the store.

 A lower recovery ramp 9 ensures the recirculation of cold air to the cold source.

 In traditional furniture, within the interior space 4a of the base are arranged the circulation and cooling means (evaporator 4c, fan 4b).

 However, the cold source could be located at the level of a power station as described in the French patent application in the name of the applicant n 92 01225.

 In the embodiment as illustrated in FIG. 2 and which represents a first embodiment and implementation of the invention, there is a rear bottom of the piece of furniture 10 with double wall and breaking down into a first wall 10a connected to a source of cold pressurized air via the ramps 11a, 12a, while the wall 10b is connected to the ramps 11b, 12b, themselves connected to a source of vacuum, in particular the upstream part of an air production plant cold under pressure.

 Advantageously, the ramps ila and 12a on the one hand, and llb and 12b on the other hand, are of the type arranged head to tail and each connected by an end opposite to the other, to the corresponding source respectively of cold air under pressure or vacuum for recycling to said source of cold pressurized air; this in accordance with what is described in the French patent application in the name of the applicant and cited above.

 Conventionally, the hollow wall 10a connected by the ramps IIa, 12a to the pressurized cold air dispenses this cold air from the bottom of the cabinet by the perforations 13, 14, 15 and 16, so that the air streams released by these openings spread and lick the products placed on the shelves 17, 18, 19, 20.

 In a manner also known, the upper ceiling 21 of the piece of furniture has in its front front part a ramp 22 for the ejection downwards of an air curtain intended to insulate the interior space containing the shelves below. above mentioned.

 In a new way, each shelf 17, 18, 19, 20 is provided with a double wall and as shown in detail in FIGS. 3 and 4.

 The rear part of each shelf is connected to the bottom of the cabinet and more particularly to the hollow wall 10a containing the cold pressurized air, so that the interior space 23 between the two upper 24 and lower 25 respectively planes of each shelf ( Figure 3) is traversed by the cold air supplied from the hollow wall 10a.

 And this cold air can thus feed a ramp located frontally for the ejection of an air curtain oriented downwards at each shelf.

 This ramp 26 is located on each of the shelves 17, 18, 19 and 20, and it emits an air curtain limited to the space which separates the transmitting shelf from the lower shelf.

 To avoid any overpressure of air in the interior space between two shelves, ventilation openings or openings are provided. These discharge openings shown in more detail in Figures 3 and 4 on each shelf correspond on the one hand to front openings 27, 28 running along and near the front edge 29 of each shelf.

 At the rear, each shelf also has one or more notches 30 which constitute a passage to allow the circulation of cold air from one floor to the lower floor.

 In the case where the shelf is made. from two superimposed planes 24, 25 defining an interstitial space 23 traversed by the cold air, the openings 27, 28 consist of one or more vertical chimneys 28a opening respectively above the upper plane 24 and below the plane lower 25 (Figure 4). A transverse bar 31 delimits the useful area for positioning the products, thus avoiding filling the openings 27, 28.

 It can be seen that a system is thus produced which on the one hand makes the air curtain more efficient, the stroke of which is limited to the space separating two superposed shelves, so that the air curtain reaches the bottom fairly quickly. of its stroke while remaining efficient and when it reached the shelf located in the lower position it then fulfilled its mission, the space between the two shelves being relatively isolated.

 And for the lower floor, a new curtain is created.

 At the same time, the openings previously described allow the downward circulation of cold air which by licking the products contained on the shelves evacuates the parasitic calories allowing the products to remain at an optimal temperature.

 According to the variant shown in FIG. 5, it can be seen that the front front edge 42 of each shelf 17, 18 includes a bead of curvilinear section 43 allowing, by an upper surface effect, to guide the air streams coming from the ramp upper ejection and direct them by a bypass effect down and towards the inside of the cabinet, so that they join and reinforce the air streams coming from the ejection ramp located directly behind the corresponding bead.

 One thus obtains a succession and an accumulation of air streams, each air stream coming to die on the lower floor but then being taken up and ensuring a continuity of effect of isolation from one shelf to another.

 FIG. 6 represents a variant in which each shelf is itself produced according to a double wall system.

 Each shelf thus comprises an upper panel 32, an intermediate panel 33 and a lower panel 34.

 The interstitial space 35 between the upper panel and the intermediate panel defines a flat pipe for the return of the air taken back from the recovery ramp 36 and this intermediate space 35 joins the hollow wall 10b corresponding to the return of the air recycled after passage in the cabinet towards the upstream part of the cold source.

 The lower intermediate space 37 between the intermediate panel 33 and the lower panel 34 is in turn placed in communication with the bottom wall 10a which is in communication with the source of cold air under pressure.

 As previously explained, from this hollow wall 10a, the air can be blown through the bottom through the openings 13, 14, 15, 16. The air can also be blown through openings made in the lower pan 34, of space 37.

 But at the same time, the space 37 which runs along the lower part of each shelf leads to the ejection ramp 38 situated at the tip of each shelf and oriented downwards and which constitutes the source of a curtain d air serving the space between the original shelf and the lower shelf.

 We see that the air curtain generated from the ramp 38 (Figure 6) thus serves the space defined between the emitting shelf 17 and the lower shelf 18, the air curtain at its base then being taken up by the ramp outlet 36a located on the shelf 18 and oriented upwards.

 We find an identical construction at each shelf; each shelf thus comprising in its front part an upward-facing return ramp for receiving at the base of the air streams ejected from the upper ramp, while this same shelf comprises an ejection ramp which directs downwards and towards the lower shelf a short race air curtain and quickly joining the recovery ramp of the immediately lower shelf.

 We see that the invention thus achieves a multiplication of a single air curtain broken down into a plurality of elementary air curtains, each serving a limited frontal area and thus retaining total efficiency, each compartment constituted by the space between two shelves thus being effectively served, each individual air curtain traversing only a limited space and being taken up at its base by an inspiration ramp; so that it avoids any overpressure of air within the compartment defined by the space between two shelves (or between the ceiling and the upper shelf for the highest compartment).

 FIG. 7 represents a variant plan view representing a horizontal median section within a shelf at the intermediate plane 33.

 The reference 33 in FIG. 7 indicates the intermediate plane as shown in FIG. 6 and shows the connection of the horizontal pipe 33 on the hollow rear wall 10b in communication with the source of vacuum formed by the upstream part of the cooling device and cold air recycling.

 The dotted arrow f 'shows the connection of the lower stage constituted by the intermediate wall 33 and the lower wall 34 and constituting a flat pipe connected to the inlet 10a of cold pressurized air.

 This communication takes place through the passage 39 in which is interposed a regulating flap 40 controlled by a probe, in particular a thermostatic bellows 41.

 It can be seen that the expansion or retraction of the bellows as a function of the variation in temperature controls the opening or closing of the flap 40.

 Under these conditions, the flow of cold air introduced into the stage served by the inlet pipe 37 is proportional to the cooling requirement as observed by the bellows 41.

 It is thus possible to produce insulated compartments in a linear piece of furniture, each compartment being defined by a stage on the one hand and by the space between two vertical partitions on the other by and each compartment being served by a passage 39 and a flap 40 can thus by means of the servo system constituted by the bellows 41 be supplied with cold air at a flow rate adapted to the specific and personalized isolated need of each compartment.

 We find an identical process on the return pipe 35 of the lower shelf making it possible to adapt the flow of inspiration to the flow of insufflation.

 According to the embodiment of Figure 8, we see that the hollow walls of insufflation 10a and 10b recovery are connected to cooling equipment 4c (exchanger) and ventilation 4b located inside the cabinet.

 We see that the invention thus allows; through these various variants, to produce a piece of furniture for the exhibition of self-service products, the piece of furniture having improved thermal balance properties and much higher than the yield obtained by traditional pieces of furniture, as well as possibilities for controlling temperatures previously unattainable.

 The furniture can be provided, between certain shelves described, with conventional shelves consisting of a simple tray.

Claims (15)

 1. Furniture of the type provided for the exhibition of self-service sales of fresh products and comprising shelves traversed by drafts of cold air and comprising in particular an air curtain intended to isolate the space exposure of the furniture from the outside environment, this air curtain being projected from a source of cold air, in particular from a distribution ramp located overhanging and in front of the furniture, the cold air circulating in the furniture and in particular constituting the curtain being taken up at the base of the cabinet in front of the lower shelving to be recycled after passing over a cold source and the cabinet is characterized in that at least one of the shelves (17). comprises at its front end a distribution ramp (26) capable of emitting a curtain of cold air in the direction of the shelf immediately below.  2. Furniture according to claim 1 and characterized in that each shelf (17) is provided with a width such that its front edge comes substantially vertically from the front edge of the ceiling of the furniture, from which escapes the curtain superior air.  3. Furniture according to claim 1 or claim 2 and characterized in that each shelf (17) is formed of a hollow structure (17 ') connected by its rear part to a source (10a) of cold air under pressure housed in the vertical wall (10) rear of the cabinet, this hollow structure (17 ') opening at its front end on a ramp (26) for ejecting cold air streams oriented downwards towards the lower shelf and thus creating an air curtain capable of isolating the interior space located between the two shelves, with respect to the ambient environment exterior to said piece of furniture.  4. Furniture according to one of claims 1 to 3 and characterized in that each shelf (17) comprises means for taking up and guiding the air streams constituting in particular the air curtain of the facade and coming from the upper source and oriented towards the space below said shelf.  5. Furniture according to claim 4 and characterized in that each shelf (17) has openings (27) or solutions of continuity in its wall, capable of allowing the evacuation of air streams circulating in the space above said shelf towards the lower space, avoiding the creation of overpressure in this upper space, overpressure which could destroy the efficiency of the air curtain serving this upper space.  6. Furniture according to claim 5, characterized in that the evacuation openings (27) consist of elongated openings running along and near the front edge of each shelf.  7. Furniture according to claim 5 and characterized in that the evacuation openings or openings are positioned in the rear part in one or more notches made in the rear edge of the shelf and thus separating this shelf from the rear vertical wall of the furniture .  8. Furniture according to claim 4 and characterized in that each shelf has a curved and curved profile (43) constituting a surface for taking up and guiding the air streams coming from the upper floor and guided by an upper surface effect down and towards the inside of the cabinet by joining the air streams coming from the ejection ramp located on the same shelf.  9. Furniture according to claim 1 and characterized in that each shelf (32) has at its front part in addition to a diffusion ramp (38) of cold air streams directed downward to constitute an air curtain serving the space below said shelf, a recovery ramp (36) connected to a source of vacuum and oriented upward for the recovery of air streams, in particular constituting the air curtain from the upper floor.  10. Furniture according to claim 9 and characterized in that each shelf (32) consists of a hollow structure comprising three horizontal sides defining between them two floors, and constituting an upper panel for product exposure, an intermediate panel and a lower panel constituting the ceiling of the lower space, the interval between the upper panel and the intermediate panel constituting a flat pipe (35) leading to the recovery ramp (36) situated in the front part of said shelf and oriented upwards , this return pipe being connected towards the wall to a source of vacuum, the interval between the intermediate panel and the lower panel forming a flat line (37) leading to the emission ramp (38) of the directed air curtain towards the lower floor, this flat pipe (37) being connected to a source of pressurized fresh air located in the rear wall of the cabinet and for this purpose, the vertical bottom of the cabinet is con consisting of a double wall defining two capacities, one of which (10a) is connected to a source of cold pressurized air thereby supplying the sources of cold air emission, in particular the curtain emission ramps (38) cold air, the other capacity (lOb) being connected to a vacuum source allowing the recovery of cold air from the recovery ramps (36), this capacity communicating with the upstream inlet of a central cold air, the air taken back from the space between the shelves being recycled and redistributed under pressure after cooling to the supply lines.  11. Furniture according to claim 10 and characterized in that the capacities (10a and 10b) are connected to cooling equipment (4c) and ventilation (4b) integrated in the furniture.  12. Furniture according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the cold air distribution pipes serving the volume defined by the space between two shelves have at least one regulating valve (40) at their connection to the general cold air supply lines (lOa) under pressure and this valve is slaved to at least one temperature probe (41) within this volume, the quantity of cold air supplying said space thus being at all times adapted to the cooling needs as detected by said probe.  13. Furniture according to claim 11 and characterized in that the control valves consist of pivoting flaps (40) capable of closing or clearing the connection of the cold air supply to the general source, and the temperature probe is constituted a thermostatic bellows (41) thus directly controlling the operation of the shutter.  14. Furniture according to claims 11 and 12 and characterized in that the recovery lines comprise at least one control valve at their connection to the recovery capacity (lOb), this valve being controlled by a temperature probe (411 within the volume defined by space between two shelves (17, 18) in order to adapt the suction flow to the insufflation flow.  15. Furniture according to one of claims 1 to 14 and characterized in that the space between said shelves (17, 18) is divided by at least one shelf of the conventional tray type.