GB2126699A

GB2126699A - Refrigerated display cabinets

Info

Publication number: GB2126699A
Application number: GB08323440A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roy Prentis
Original assignee: Barker & Co George
Current assignee: Barker & Co George
Priority date: 1982-09-02
Filing date: 1983-09-01
Publication date: 1984-03-28
Also published as: GB2126699B; GB8323440D0

Abstract

A moulded water collection base tray for a refrigerated display cabinet includes a drain housing pipe 16 integrally moulded with the tray and extending away from the water collecting surface of the tray. There is a shoulder recess where the outlet housing meets the water collecting surface and the housing sealingly receives a drain outlet pipe 20 having a flange 22 which seats in the said recess. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to refrigerated display cabinets This invention relates to refrigerated display (and dispensing) cabinets of the type used in supermarkets, shops and the like for the storage, display and marketing of food products which must be kept cold or frozen in order to maintain the freshness for as long as possible.

Such display cabinets are well known, and the operating parts include a refrigerating system which serves to keep the air in the display cabinet at the required temperature, which may be as low as -230C. Because the cabinet temperature has to be maintained at a low value, from time to time it is necessary to defrost the cabinet which results in the deposit and collection of water on and in the cabinet base. it is usual to construct such a base with a drain outlet in order that collected water can drain to a drainpipe through the drain outlet, under the action of gravity. It is also known to form the base as a plastics moulded tray with a peripheral flange in order to ensure that all the water will gravitate to the drain outlet.

This invention concerns a novel construction for the drain outlet.

Heretofore, when a conventional plastics base tray of a refrigerated cabinet is provided with a drain outlet, the tray is moulded (usually in glass reinforced plastics), then an aperture is formed in the moulding at the location for the drain outlet, and the drain outlet, which is essentially a plastic component, is fitted in the aperture. The bottom side of the drain outlet may be provided with screw threads for fitting to the drainpipe. The drain outlet pipe also passes through a thick layer of expanded polyurethane foam which is formed to the rear side of the base tray, such foam serving as an insulator in the finished cabinet.

The exterior of the drain outlet is sealed where it passes through the plastic moulding so that moisture will not leak past the outer surface of the drain outlet, but in practise this does happen.

In accordance with the present invention, when the base tray is moulded, it is moulded integrally with a drain outlet housing in the form of a short housing pipe extending away from the water collecting surface of the base tray, and preferably the housing pipe has concentric recess at the upper end, so that a drain outlet in the form of the drain outlet pipe with a locating flange can be positioned in the drain outlet, with the flange resting in the recess. The drain outlet pipe will be sealed to the shoulder and housing pipe in order to provide a watertight seal, but if the seal fails, the shoulder and housing pipe also serves as a means to isolate leaking moisture from the surrounding foam.The housing pipe can also form a datum for dictating the thickness of the insulating foam in that a base cover plate between which and the tray the foam is injected, can be arranged to rest upon the end of the housing pipe, thereby to dictate the thickness of the foam layer.

By forming the housing pipe and shoulder integrally with the tray, a number of significant advantages are achieved. Firstly, an additional seal is defined preventing moisture leaking past the drain outlet from contacting the insulating foam and secondly the housing pipe forms an accurate location for the drain outlet and additional drilling or cutting of the moulded tray is not necessary.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein; Figure 1 is a perspective view of the base tray of a refrigerated cabinet and according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a section of elevation of part of the tray shown in Figure 1, the section being taken through the line A-A in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section of elevation taken through the line B-B in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a section of elevation taken through the line C-C in Figure 1; and Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of the entire base, the section being on line A-A of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, in Figure 1 there is shown a vacuum formed glass reinforced plastics moulded base tray 10 for a double refrigerated display cabinet, and of a part of which a sectional elevation is shown in Figure 2, and the base tray 10 comprises a drain collecting surface 12 which is surrounded by a moisture catching ledge 14.

The tray 10 is rectangular and the catching edge 14 exists at all sides. The collecting surface 1 2 is shaped so that moisture collecting in the tray will gravitate to either of two drain outlet housings 16, each of which is a short pipe moulded integrally with the base tray 10, the pipe 1 6 extending away from the collecting surface 12, and being connected thereto by a step shoulder 18. The drain outlet housing is for receiving a drain outlet pipe 20, shown in Figure 2, and the drain outlet pipe 20 is provided at one end with a flange 22 which sits on the shoulder 1 8. The drain outlet pipe 20 which is of plastics, is sealed to the interior of the support housing pipe 1 6 by means of a sealing compound 26 in order to prevent moisture from leaking past the drain outlet pipe 20 in use.

By so constructing the support housing pipe 1 6, even if moisture does leak past the drain outlet 20, it will not contact the insulating foam 28 which is located to the rear of the base tray.

The support housing pipe 1 6 also forms a datum position, dictating the thickness of the said foam layer 28, and this is achieved as shown in Figures 2 and 5. To "foam" the base tray there are connected thereto confining panels 30 as shown in Figure 5, these panels being connected to the front and rear edges of the tray and to the underside but arranged to abut the end of the support housing 16, thereby to define a cavity 32 which lies to the underside of the tray 10 and also extends into front and rear extensions 29 and 31.

This cavity 32 is filled with a liquid urethane foaming system, which is a multi part system, and the system foams inside the cavity to form an expanded polyurethane foam insulating layer to the rear of the base tray and inside the front and rear extensions. The tray, extension panels, and expanding foam form a base on which the side and rear panels of the refrigerated cabinet are mounted. Figure 5 shows the complete base unit in sectional elevation.

With reference made to Figures 3 and 4, it will be seen that the base tray 10 also is provided with integral service pipe sections 36 and 38 which also extend away from the collecting surface 12 of the base tray 10, and are tapered in this direction, as shown. The service pipe sections 36 and 38 are connected to the said collecting surface 1 2 by means of surrounding bosses 40 and 42 formed during the moulding operation.

These bosses in being proud of the collecting surface 12 assist in preventing moisture from entering the interior of the servicing pipe sections 36 and 38. The service pipe sections also form abutment surfaces for the covering panels 30 when creating the cavity 32 prior to injecting the insulating polyurethane foam material. By so forming the sections 36 and 38 integrally with the tray, the need to insert separate service connection pipe housings, as has been the case in the prior art, is avoided. The tapering of the pipes 36 and 38 is an advantageous feature in so far as when the service pipes, such as electrical cables or conduits, are inserted in the pipes 36 and 38 and these pipes are filled with sealing material, the tapering prevents the sealing material from passing straight through the service pipe sections 36 and 38.

The mould for producing the base tray will preferably be constructed so as to be capable of producing trays of different lengths, and depending on the length of tray produced, so the service pipes 26 and 38 will be appropriately positioned. As cegards those bosses in which service pipes are not to be present, it will be arranged that during the moulding operation.

such bosses will simply be blanked off.

An extremely useful and effective base tray for a refrigerated display cabinet results according to the invention, and such a tray is weli adapted for the injection process by which the cavity is filled with polyurethane foam, because the various panels 30 partly defining the cavity with the said mould tray can be arranged to abut the ends of the service pipes 36, 38 and the drain housings 16, by being integrally moulded with the base tray and extending from the collecting surface, serve as water seals preventing moisture from contacting the expanded polyurethane foam.

The base tray illustrated and described is a double tray for a cabinet to which access can be gained from both sides but the invention can be applied to other forms of refrigerated cabinets, such as those to which access is gained from one side (the front) only.

Claims

1. A moulded base tray for a regrigerated display cabinet, wherein the tray is moulded integrally with a drain outlet housing in the form of a short housing pipe extending away from the water collecting surface of the base tray.

2. A tray according to Claim 1, wherein the housing pipe has concentric recess at the upper end, so that a drain outlet in the form of the drain outlet pipe with a locating flange can be positioned in the drain outlet, with the flange resting in the recess.

3. A tray according to Claim 2, including a said drain outlet pipe is sealed to the shoulder and housing pipe with sealing medium.

4. A moulded base tray for a refrigerated display cabinet, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

5. A refrigerated display cabinet provided with a moulded base tray according to any preceding Claim.