FR3071709B1 - VENTILATED COLD EXPOSURE CABINET - Google Patents

Abstract

An exposure cabinet (1) comprising an enclosure (3) comprising an upper product exposure zone (4) and a lower technical zone containing forced air circulation means and cold generating means for a cooling of said air, said zones being separated from each other by a plate (8) for presenting the products and communicating with each other, at least via openings (9, 12) for blowing and air intake for a loop circulation of the air between said zones with a flow of air going circulating above the plate (8) of presentation and a flow of return air flowing below the plate (8) presentation, the tray (8) of presentation being surmounted by a shelf (2) disposed on the path followed by the flow of air to go. The shelf (2) is provided with at least one opening (13) passing through the product support surface (11) of said shelf (2), the at least one of the openings (13) passing through the surface ( 11) support being an elongate opening extending transversely to the flow direction of the flow of air to go.

Description

The present invention relates to a cold ventilated display cabinet for the presentation of products such as food products.

It relates more particularly to a piece of furniture comprising at least one open or closed enclosure comprising an upper area of exposure of the products and a lower technical area containing at least partially means for forced circulation of the air and means for producing cold in order to a cooling of said air, said zones being separated from each other at least by a presentation tray of the products and communicating with each other at least via blowing and air intake openings for a circulating the air between said zones with a flow of air flowing over the presentation tray from the at least one air blowing opening to the at least one air intake opening and a flow of return air flowing below the presentation tray from the at least one air intake opening to the at least one air blowing opening, the tray presentation of the products separating the zones from each other being surmounted by a shelf disposed on the path followed by the flow of air to go, this shelf delimiting a support surface of the products to be exposed.

PRIOR ART

An exhibition furniture of the aforementioned type is known.

In such an exhibition cabinet, also called refrigerated showcase, there is, at the level of the shelf which is in the form of a solid surface, a significant difference in temperature between the face of the top and the underside of the 'shelf. Indeed, the heat tends to rise inside the enclosure. This rise in heat is blocked by the shelf so that hot air tends to accumulate under the shelf. The products exposed on the shelf are sensitive to this increase in temperature of the product support surface of the shelf and it may result in a deterioration of products and / or storage of products in poor conditions.

GOALS AND SUMMARY

An object of the invention is to provide a display cabinet of the aforementioned type, whose design allows the reduction of the temperature differential between the bottom face and the top face of the shelf.

Another object of the invention is to provide a display cabinet of the aforementioned type, whose design allows a limitation of a temperature rise of the shelf. For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a ventilated cold display cabinet for the presentation of products, such as food products, the cabinet comprising at least one enclosure comprising an upper zone of exposure of the products and a lower zone. at least partially containing means for forced circulation of air and cooling means for cooling said air, said zones being separated from each other at least by a product display tray and communicating with each other at least through blowing and air intake openings for looping air between said zones with a flow of air flowing over the presentation tray from the at least one air blowing opening to the at least one air intake opening and a return air flow flowing below the presentation tray from the at least one s an air intake opening to the at least one air blowing opening, the presentation tray of the products separating the zones from one another being surmounted by a shelf disposed on the path followed by the flow air outlet, this shelf delimiting a support surface of the products to be exposed, characterized in that the shelf is provided with at least one opening through the product support surface of said shelf, the or at least one of the openings through the support surface being an elongate opening extending transversely to the flow direction of the air flow to go.

The presence of at least one elongated aperture extending transversely to the direction of flow of the forward air flow and passing through the product support surface of said shelf allows at least a portion of the air flow to traverse the surface. shelf product support. This results in a passage of a portion of the cold air flowing over the shelf to the underside of the shelf. This cold airflow generates turbulence under the shelf to prevent hot air from accumulating under the shelf. This passage of a flow of air through the shelf is encouraged by the fact that the airflow flowing over the shelf follows a longer path than the path followed by the flow of air flowing through the shelf. the shelf so that the flow of air flowing over the shelf generally travels at a lower speed than the flow of air flowing below the shelf. Thus, the flow of air flowing under the shelf tends to create a call for the flow of air flowing over the shelf. This provides a simple way to reduce the temperature differential between top and bottom faces of the shelf.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the or at least one of the through openings of the product support surface of the shelf which is an elongated opening extending transversely to the flow direction of the air flow affects the shape of a slot, called longitudinal.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the product support surface of the shelf and the or at least one of the through openings of the support surface are made in one piece. This results in a simplification of manufacture.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the product support surface of the shelf is made of at least two elements and the or at least one of the through openings of the support surface is formed by the space left free between the two or at least two of the elements of the support surface.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the product support surface of the shelf is a transparent or translucent surface.

Preferably, the product support surface of the shelf is a glazed surface.

Alternatively, the product support surface of the shelf could be of another material, such as wood, composite material or the like.

According to one embodiment of the invention, at least one of the through openings of the product support surface of the shelf is disposed in the middle longitudinal zone of the shelf.

This arrangement allows an optimization of the action of the air flows on the temperature differential between top and bottom faces of the shelf.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the through opening of the product support surface, or the set of through openings of the product support surface of the shelf, in the case of a plurality of openings. through the support surface, represents a void area at least equal to 9% relative to the total area of the product support surface of the shelf.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the upper zone of exposure of the products is equipped with at least one lighting member of the shelf and the or at least one of the through openings of the product support surface. the shelf is arranged plumb and below the lighting member.

Thus, the heating potentially produced by the lighting member tends to easily cross the shelf.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the or at least one of the air blowing openings has the shape of a chamber having an inlet and an outlet, this chamber being connected as input to the lower technical zone and at the outlet to the upper exposure zone, this chamber being provided between its entry and its exit of a honeycomb structure adapted to be traversed by a flow of air.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES The invention will be better understood on reading the following description of exemplary embodiments, with reference to the appended drawings in which: FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of an exhibition furniture according to FIG. invention; FIG. 2 represents a detail view A of FIG. 1; - Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of an exposure unit according to the invention. ; - Figure 4 shows a partial perspective view of an exposure unit taken at the air blowing opening; Figure 5 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of an exhibit furniture according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As mentioned above, the subject of the invention is a ventilated cold display cabinet 1 for the presentation of products, in particular food products. This piece of furniture 1 comprises an enclosure 3. This enclosure 3 can be open or closed. Open enclosure means an enclosure which permanently has a non-closable access inside the enclosure.

This enclosure 3 comprises an upper zone 4 for exposing the products and a lower technical zone 5 containing at least partially means 6 for forced circulation of air and means 7 for producing cold for cooling said air.

These zones 4, 5 are separated from each other by a plate 8 for presenting the products which can be made in one or more elements. In the examples shown, this presentation plate 8 is formed of several juxtaposed plate elements. The zones 4, 5 communicate with each other by at least one air-blowing aperture 9 arranged along one of the edges, called the rear edge or the service edge, of the upper exposure zone 4 and by an opening 12 of air intake disposed along the opposite edge said before or exposure of the upper exposure zone 4. In the examples shown, the opening 9 of air blowing affects the shape of a chamber 15. This chamber 15 has an inlet 16 and an outlet 17. This chamber 15 is connected at the inlet 16, to the lower technical zone 5 , and at exit 17, at the upper exposure zone 4. This chamber 15 is provided between its inlet 16 and its outlet 17 with a honeycomb structure 10 which allows a good distribution of the flow of air passing through said structure. The air circulates in a loop between said zones 4 and 4. 5 with a flow F of air flowing over the presentation plate 8 from the chamber 15 to the opening or openings 12 of air intake and a flow F1 of return air flowing below the presentation tray 8 from the opening or openings 12 of air intake to the chamber 15.

In the examples shown, the enclosure 3 is an open enclosure on the front side of the top. The so-called front part of the enclosure, intended to face the customers and which adjoins the front edge of the upper exposure zone 4, is provided with a protective glass and a windscreen, which comes close to the less partially the top face of the enclosure 3.

Of course, and equally, this speaker could have been completely closed.

The chamber 15 is in turn surmounted by a shelf on which the products can be placed before being introduced into the enclosure and arranged in particular on the plate 8 of exposure. This exposure plate 8 is arranged in a fixed or removable manner inside the enclosure 3.

The means 6 for forced circulation of the air comprise, for their part, at least one, preferably a plurality of fans arranged along a line substantially parallel to one of the front or rear edges of the upper zone 4. preferably at least three fans per linear meter.

In the example shown, these fans are arranged in the technical area, slightly offset from the plumb with the or openings 12 of air intake. Indeed, the air intake can be effected by a single opening in the form of an elongate light extending along the front edge 11 of the upper exposure zone 4 formed here by one of the edges of the tray or by a plurality of lights as shown in the figures.

The means 7 for producing cold are formed by an evaporator of a refrigerant circuit. This evaporator can itself be made in the form of one or more heat exchangers, preferably plates. The plates may be plates arranged vertically and interconnected by a refrigerant circulation circuit called refrigeration circuit. The air is cooled by circulation between said plates before being introduced into the air blowing chamber 15 disposed along the rear edge of the upper exposure zone 4.

This upper exposure zone 4 includes, for the product exposure, in addition to the presentation tray 8 separating the zones 4, 5, a shelf 2 overlying said plate 8. This shelf 2 is disposed at a distance from the presentation tray chosen to allow the enclosure to be disposed on the path followed by the flow F air to go. This shelf should not be too far from the presentation tray 8. This shelf delimits a support surface, in this case here a support plane of the products to be exposed.

Typically according to the invention, the shelf 2 is provided with at least one opening 13 passing through the product support surface 11 of the shelf 2, this at least one through opening 13 being an elongated opening extending transversely to the flow direction of the air flow F go.

The support surface 11 of the shelf 2 can be made of one or more elements. In the example shown in Figure 1, this support surface 11 of the shelf is formed by means of a juxtaposition of trays with each quadrangular plate having a through opening 13. These through apertures 13 are aligned in the juxtaposed state of the trays and form a line which extends transversely to the direction of movement of the air flow F from the opening or openings 9 to the blowing opening or openings 12 'air.

Alternatively, a single element support surface 11 could be provided with one or more through openings 13. Independently of the design of the support surface 11, generally, the through apertures 13 each have the shape of a so-called longitudinal slot extending transversely to the direction of flow of the flow F of the air to be passed. Each through aperture 13 may be integrally formed with the product support surface 11 of the shelf 2, as shown in FIG. 1, where each through aperture is formed by a cut of the product support surface 11. shelf 2.

Alternatively and as illustrated in FIG. 5, the product support surface 11 of the shelf 2 can be made of at least two elements and the or at least one of the through openings 13 of the support surface 11 is formed by the space left free between the two or at least two of the elements of the support surface.

Solutions can thus be provided in which the support surface 11 comprises both through openings made in one piece with said support surface 11 and through openings formed by a free space left between two elements constituting the support surface 11. Generally, the product support surface of shelf 2 is a transparent or translucent surface.

In the example shown, the product support surface 11 of the shelf 2 is a glazed surface.

For maximum efficiency in terms of homogenization of the temperatures of the top face and the bottom of the shelf, without having to multiply the number of through openings, generally the or at least one of the openings 13 through the surface The product support of the shelf 2 is arranged in the middle longitudinal zone of the shelf 2.

For an optimization of the air transfer, the opening 13 through the product support surface 11, or the set of openings 13 through the product support surface 11, in the case of a plurality of through openings of the support surface, represents a void area at least equal to 9% with respect to the total area of the product support surface.

Finally, in the case where the upper zone 4 of exposure of the products is equipped with at least one lighting member 14 of the shelf 2, such as a strip of diodes, or the through openings of the support surface Shelf products are ideally positioned plumb and below the lighting member 14.

The operation of such a refrigerated cabinet is as follows. An airflow is produced by the fans arranged in the lower technical area. This flow of air is cooled by passing through the means 7 for producing cold before reaching the upper exposure zone via the chamber 15.

In this upper exposure zone, part of the air flow F passes over the shelf while another part of the air flow F passes below the shelf before the air comes out. these flows are re-sucked by the one or more air intake openings and driven by the fans for a new loop circulation cycle. In the upper exposure area, a portion of the airflow flowing over the shelf passes through the shelf through the through aperture (s) of the shelf and creates a turbulence under the shelf. tend to chase hot air that could have accumulated under the underside of the shelf.

Claims (9)

1. Ventilated cold display cabinet (1) for the presentation of products, such as food products, the furniture (1) comprising at least one enclosure (3) comprising an upper zone (4) for exposing the products and a lower technical area (5) at least partially containing means (6) for forced circulation of air and means (7) for producing cold for cooling said air, said zones (4, 5) being separated from each other at least by a plate (8) for presenting the products and communicating with each other at least through openings (9, 12) for blowing and air intake for circulation in air loop between said zones (4, 5) with a flow (F) of air flowing over the plate (8) of presentation from the at least one opening (9) of air blowing to the minus an opening (12) of return air and a flow (F1) of return air flowing below the plateau (8) of presentation from the at least one aperture (12) of air intake to the at least one opening (9) for blowing air, the plate (8) for presenting the products separating the zones (4, 5 ) of the other being surmounted by a shelf (2) arranged on the path followed by the flow (F) of air to go, this shelf (2) delimiting a surface (11) supporting the products to be exposed, characterized in that the shelf (2) is provided with at least one opening (13) passing through the product support surface (11) of said shelf (2), the or at least one of the openings (13) therethrough the support surface (11) being an elongated opening extending transversely to the direction of flow of the flow (F) of the incoming air and in that the or at least one of the openings (9) for blowing air has the shape of a chamber (15) having an inlet (18) and an outlet (17), said chamber (15) being connected at the inlet (18) to the technical zone (5) and at the outlet (17) to the upper exposure zone (4), this chamber (15) being provided between its inlet (16) and its outlet (17) with a structure (10) made of honeycomb able to be crossed by a flow of air. 2. Cabinet (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the or at least one of the openings (13) through the surface (11) product support of the shelf (2) which is an elongated opening s extending transversely to the direction of flow of the flow (F) of air to go affects the shape of a slot, called longitudinal. 3. Furniture (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the product support surface (11) of the shelf (2) and the or at least one of the openings (13) through the surface (11) support are made in one piece. 4. Furniture (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the product support surface (11) of the shelf (2) is made of at least two elements and in that the or at least the one of the openings (13) passing through the supporting surface (Tl) is formed by the space left free between the two or at least two of the elements of the support surface (11). 5. Furniture (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the product support surface (11) of the shelf (2) is a transparent or translucent surface. 6. Furniture (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the product support surface (11) of the shelf (2) is a glazed surface. 7. Furniture (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that ia or at least one of the openings (13) through the product support surface (11) of the shelf (2) is disposed in the median longitudinal zone of the shelf (2), 8. Furniture (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the opening (13) through the product support surface (11) or the set of openings (13) through the surface (11). 2) in the case of a plurality of through-openings of the support surface, the support surface is at least 9% of the total area of the support surface (11). products from the shelf (2). 9. Furniture (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the area (4) upper exposure of the products is equipped with at least one member (14) lighting the shelf (2) and in that the or at least one of the through openings (13) of the product support surface (11) of the shelf (2) is disposed vertically and below the member (14) lighting.