GB2170893A

GB2170893A - Refrigerated counter

Info

Publication number: GB2170893A
Application number: GB8603279A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alberto Costan
Original assignee: Costan SpA
Current assignee: Costan SpA
Priority date: 1985-02-11
Filing date: 1986-02-11
Publication date: 1986-08-13
Also published as: IT206664Z2; FR2577126B3; HUT46136A; FI860596A0; IT8520764V0; DE8603407U1; FI860596A; SE8600550D0; CN86101272A; JPS61136283U; NL8600331A; GB8603279D0; SE8600550L; FR2577126A3

Abstract

A refrigerated counter (1) of the tray type includes a lamp (17) for lighting the products in the tray (2) and for heating the transparent front wall (5) thereof in order to prevent condensation. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Refrigerated counter This invention relates to a refrigerated counter, particularly for frozen and quick-frozen products, of the open tray type for access to the products, comprising a lamp for lighting the products in the tray, a transparent front wall for viewing the products, and heater means of said front wall for preventing the formation of condensate over the wall itself.

As is known, the provision of a transparent front wall, at least at its upper portion, makes it simpler for a purchaser to pick out the products that he/she wishes to take out; in fact, the amount of the product in full view is thus increased considerably. Furthermore, it becomes possible to pick out immediately the types of products (ice-creams, canned goods, greens, fish, etc.) contained in the tray even from a distance; this is an advantage which is particularly well appreciated at large supermarkets having a number of refrigerated counters, each reserved for a different product type.

However, a practical problem is connected with the use of the transparent wall, namely the problem of condensate. In fact, the transparent wall is very cold, and consequently, the moisture from the air sweeping across it tends to condensate over the wall and befog it, destroying its transparency.

With prior refrigerated counters, this problem has been usually solved by heating the surface of the transparent wall through an electric resistance heater mostly comprising a thin wire embedded in the wall itself.

Thus, befogging can be prevented, but at the expense of increased power requirements by the refrigerated counter. In fact, the resistance heater, albeit of minimal power, still absorbs a more than negligible amount of power because of its being operated continuously. In addition, some of the heat generated by it is transferred to the tray, whence it must be removed by the refrigerating system, which is thus burdened with added work resulting, in higher power consumption.

It is the object of this invention to provide a refrigerated counter which can solve the problem of condensation over the transparent wall while restricting power consumption.

That object is achieved, according to the invention, by a refrigerated counter as indicated, characterized in that the lighting lamp is located on the exterior of the transparent front wall and forms a heater means.

Further features and advantages of a refrigerated counter according to the invention will be more clearly apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, given with reference to the accompanying drawings. In those drawings: Figure 1 is a part-sectional perspective view of a refrigerated counter according to the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view of a detail of the refrigerated counter of Fig. 1.

In the drawing figures, the numeral 1 desig- nates generally a refrigerated counter of the type which comprises a tray 2 for accommodating frozen and quick-frozen products therein and having a top opening 3. The tray 2 rests on a box-type base 4 containing a refrigerating unit and other accessory items (being all conventional and not shown).

The tray 2 has a transparent front wall 5 which extends through the length of the tray 2 longitudinally; that wall 5 comprises, for example, a frame 6 encircling two glass panes, an inner one 7 and an outer one 8, set apart from each other to define an interspace 9 therebetween.

A box-type molding 10 is secured to the top edge 11 of the wall 5; that molding 10 is composed of a supporting part 12, fitted over the wall 5 and made fast therewith, and a covering part 13 attached to the supporting part 12. The molding 10 defines, as a whole, a chamber 14 resting on the glass pane 8 and being open toward it. Arranged to cross the chamber 14 is a longitudinal partition 15, apertured as at 16, to which a lamp 17, advantageously of the gas discharge type, is mounted; thus, the chamber 14 forms a seat for the lamp 17, confronting the transparent wall 5.

The chamber 14 is formed with bottom and top openings to let air therethrough, and specifically a bottom longitudinal port 18 between the molding 10 and wall 5, and a plurality of top slots 19 formed through the molding 10 close to the top edge 11 of the wall 5, being covered by the part 12 of the molding 10.

Thus, the lamp 17, which is kept constantly on to lighten the products on display within the tray 2, also acts as a means of heating the transparent wall 5. Furthermore, by providing the bottomport 18 and top slots 19, air circulation is established by natural convection through the chamber 14 and its neighborhood.

That is, an air stream is generated which enters the chamber 14 through the bottom port 18 and sweeps across the wall 5 (before entering the chamber 14); within the chamber 14, the air is first heated and then let out through the top slots 19 to sweep across (and, hence, further heat) the part 12 of the molding 10 which covers the edge 11 of the wall 5.

The local heating provided by the lamp, as assisted by the air circulation, prevents condensate from forming onto the transparent wall. Considering then the refrigerated counter of this invention from the standpoint of power consumption, and on comparing it with a like counter of conventional design, the following applies.

With a conventional refrigerated counter, one has the combined power consumptions of the lamp, the resistance heater for the transparent wall, the added power to the refrigerating system to remove all the lamp heat from the tray, and the added power to the refrigerating system for removing from the tray some of the heat generated by the resistance heater.

On the contrary, with a refrigerated counter according to this invention, there only occur the power consumption by the lamp (which is comparable to the same consumption in a conventional refrigerated counter), and the added power consumption by the refrigerating system to remove from the tray some of the heat generated by the lamp (which is comparable to the added power consumption from the resistance heater of a conventional refrigerated counter).

Thus, alp the power is saved which, with conventional refrigerated counters, is expended to power the resistance heater and remove the heat generated by the lamp from the tray.

It may, therefore, be concluded that the refrigerated counter according to the invention fully achieves its object.

Claims

1. A refrigerated counter, particularly for frozen and quick-frozen products, of the tray type with a top opening for access to the products, comprising a lamp for lighting the products in the tray, a transparent front wall for viewing the products, and a means of heating said front wall to prevent the formation of condensate over said wall, characterized in that said lamp is located on the exterior of said transparent front wall and forms said heater means.

2. A refrigerated counter according to Claim 1, characterized in that said transparent front wall is provided at the top with a boxtype molding defining a seat confronting said tranparent front wall and adapted to accommodate said lamp.

3. A refrigerated counter according to Claim 2, characterized in that said seat is provided with bottom and top openings to allow air therethrough.

4. A refrigerated counter, substantially as herein described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.