WO2019068994A1

WO2019068994A1 - Ventilated chiller display cabinet

Info

Publication number: WO2019068994A1
Application number: PCT/FR2018/052391
Authority: WO
Inventors: Guillaume ZANLORENZI
Original assignee: Y2I Finances
Priority date: 2017-10-03
Filing date: 2018-09-28
Publication date: 2019-04-11
Also published as: FR3071709B1; FR3071709A1; EP3691499A1; MA50624A

Abstract

The invention relates to a display cabinet (1) comprising an enclosure (3) comprising an upper area (4) for displaying products and a lower technical area containing means for the forced circulation of air and means for producing cold in order to cool said air, said areas being separated from one another by a product presentation panel (8) and communicating with one another, at least via openings (9, 12) for blowing and drawing in air for circulation of the air in a loop between said areas with an outward flow of air circulating above the presentation panel (8) and a return flow of air circulating beneath the presentation panel (8), the presentation panel (8) being surmounted by a shelf (2) disposed in the path followed by the outward flow of air. 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) passing through the support surface (11) being an elongate opening extending transversely to the circulation direction of the outward flow of air.

Description

Ventilated cold exhibition cabinet

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 circulating below the presentation tray from the at least one air intake opening to the at least one air blowing opening, the product presentation tray 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 as illustrated by CA Patent 2,462,992.

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, 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 air intake opening. ir towards the at least one air blowing opening, the product presentation tray separating the zones from one another being surmounted by a shelf disposed on the path followed by the flow of air, this shelf delimiting a support surface of the products to be exhibited, characterized in that the or at least one of the air blowing openings opens into the upper product exposure area at a lower level than that occupied by the product support surface of the shelf, in that the shelf is provided with at least an opening passing through the product support surface of said shelf, and in that the or at least one of the through openings of the support surface is an elongate opening extending transversely to the direction of flow of the incoming air flow.

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 manufacturing.

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. According to one embodiment of the invention, the outlet of the or at least one of the air blowing openings in the upper zone of exposure of the products is oriented upwards.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the shelf is delimited by two edges extending transversely to the flow of air to go, the enclosure is, at the level of the upper exposure zone, delimited at least partially by so-called front and rear walls respectively extending transversely to the flow of air to go, and the edges of the shelf extending transversely to the flow of air to go are arranged spaced apart from the front and rear walls delimiting the upper zone d exposure of the enclosure.

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 stand according to the 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. The opening 9 or each of the air blowing openings 9, in the case of a plurality of air blowing openings 9, opens into the upper exposure zone 4 at a level lower than that occupied by the air blast opening 9. surface 1 1 product support of the shelf 2. This outlet 91 of the or each of the openings 9 of air blowing in the upper zone 4 of product exposure is oriented upwards, that is to say towards the top of the enclosure 3. This top of the enclosure 3, formed by the top face of the enclosure 3, is here shown partially open. The upward orientation of the outlet 91 of the or each of the openings 9 for blowing air makes it possible to generate an ascending airflow in the upper exposure zone 4 in the direction of the shelf 2.

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 which forms the outlet of the opening 9 for blowing air into the chamber. Zone 4 upper exposure. Indeed, this chamber 15 is connected at the input 16 to the lower technical zone 5 and at the outlet 17 to 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 chamber 3 is an open body facing the top face. This enclosure 3 has a top face at least partially open. This face of the top could have been closed. This enclosure 3 is at the level of the upper exposure zone 4 delimited at least partially by so-called front and rear walls respectively extending transversely to the flow F of forward air and represented at 31 and 32 in the figures. The front wall 31 of the enclosure, intended to face the customers and which adjoins the front edge of the upper zone 4 of exposure, is generally at least partially transparent. It is formed here of a protective glass. A windscreen, which comes to close at least partially the top face of the enclosure 3, is arranged in the extension of the window. 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 elongated light extending along the front edge 1 1 of the upper exposure zone 4 formed here by one of 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 comprises, for the product exhibition, in addition to the presentation tray 8 separating the zones 4, 5, a shelf 2 overlying said tray 8. This shelf 2 is disposed at a distance from the presentation tray chosen to allow the shelf to be disposed in 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 surface 1 1 support, in this case here a support plane of the products to be exposed.

The or at least one, preferably each of the air blowing openings 9 opens into the upper zone 4 of exposure of the products to a level lower than that occupied by the surface 1 1 product support of the shelf 2 The shelf 2 is, for its part, provided with at least one opening 13 passing through the product support surface 1 1 of the shelf 2, this at least one through opening 13 being an elongate opening extending transversely to the direction of flow of the air flow F go. The shelf 2, shown here in the form of a quadrangular shelf, is delimited by two edges 21 extending transversely to the flow F of air to go and two edges extending substantially parallel to the flow F of air to go. These edges of the shelf parallel to the air flow F go are in contact with the so-called side walls of the enclosure 3, these side walls connecting the front and rear walls of the enclosure 3.

The edges 21 of the shelf which extend transversely to the flow F of air are arranged spaced apart from the front walls 31 and rear 32 delimiting the upper zone 4 of exposure of the enclosure 3. The opening or each opening 13 through the shelf 2 is disposed spaced from the edges 21 of the shelf extending transversely to the flow F air to go. The or at least one of the openings 13 preferably extends equidistant from the edges 21 of the shelf 2.

Thus, the flow F of the air coming from the opening 9 of blowing located below the shelf, can pass under the shelf 2. This flow F air can also go over the air 2 taking the space left free between the edge 21 of the shelf extending transversely to the flow F of air to go and the wall The flow F of the air can also, after having crossed the top of the shelf, take the passage formed by the space left free between the edge 21 of the shelf 2 extending transversely to the flow F of air to go and the wall 31 before the enclosure opposite said edge 21.

Note that the edges 21 of the shelf 2 in orthogonal projection on the plate 8 extend within the area defined by the plate 8 and set back from the edges of the plate 8 adjacent, one, the opening 9 air blowing, the other, the opening 12 of air intake.

The surface 1 1 support of the shelf 2 can be made in one or more elements. In the example shown in Figure 1, this surface 1 1 support 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, there could have been provided a support surface 1 1 in a single element with one or more through openings 13. Regardless of the design of the surface 1 1 support, generally, the openings 13 through each affect the shape of a slot, said longitudinal, extending transversely to the flow direction of the flow F air to go. Each through opening 13 can be made in one piece with the product support surface 1 of the shelf 2, as shown in FIG. 1, where each through opening is formed by a cutout of the surface 1 1 of the product support. of the shelf 2. In a variant and as illustrated in FIG. 5, the product support surface 1 1 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 surface 1 1 support is formed by the space left free between the two or at least two of the elements of the surface 1 1 support.

It is therefore possible to propose solutions where the surface 1 1 support comprises both through openings made in one piece with said surface 1 1 support and through openings formed by a free space left between two components of the surface 1 1 support.

Generally, the product support surface 1 of the shelf 2 is a transparent or translucent surface.

In the example shown, the product support surface 1 1 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 1 1 product support of the shelf 2 is disposed in the central longitudinal zone of the shelf 2.

For an optimization of the air transfer, the opening 13 through the surface 1 1 product support, or the set of openings 13 through the surface 1 1 support products, in the case of a plurality of through apertures of the support surface, represents a void area at least equal to 9% with respect to the total area of the surface 1 1 product support.

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 above the shelf while another part of the air flow F passes below the shelf before the air from these flows is sucked by the or the 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

1. Ventilated cold room furniture (1) for the presentation of products, such as food products, the cabinet (1) comprising at least one enclosure (3) comprising an upper zone (4) of product exposure and a zone (5) technical lower part at least partially containing means (6) forced circulation of air and means (7) for producing cold for cooling said air, said zones (4, 5) being separated l one of the other at least 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 air 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) for blowing air to the at least one opening (12) of return air and a flow (F1) of return air flowing below the plate (8) presentation since the at least one air intake opening (12) towards the at least one air-blowing opening (9), the product-presenting plate (8) separating the zones (4, 5) from one of the other being surmounted by a shelf (2) disposed on the path followed by the flow (F) of air to go, this shelf (2) delimiting a surface (1 1) supporting the products to be exposed,

characterized in that the or at least one of the air-blowing openings (9) opens into the upper product exposure area (4) at a level below that occupied by the carrier surface (1 1). products of the shelf (2), in that the shelf (2) is provided with at least one opening (13) passing through the product support surface (1 1) of said shelf (2), and in that the or at least one of the apertures (13) passing through the support surface (1 1) being an elongated opening extending transversely to the direction of flow of the flow (F) of air to be passed.

2. Furniture (1) according to claim 1,

characterized in that the or at least one of the apertures (13) passing through the product support surface (1 1) of the shelf (2) which is an opening An elongate 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 (1 1) of the shelf (2) and the or at least one of the through openings (13) of the support surface (1 1) are made in one piece.

4. Furniture (1) according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that the product support surface (1 1) of the shelf (2) is made of at least two elements and in that the or at least one of the openings (13) passing through the surface (1 1 ) support is formed by the space left free between the two or at least two of the elements of the surface (1 1) support.

5. Furniture (1) according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that the product support surface (1 1) 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 (1 1) of the shelf (2) is a glazed surface.

7. Furniture (1) according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that the or at least one of the apertures (13) passing through the product support surface (1 1) of the shelf (2) is arranged in the middle longitudinal zone of the shelf (2).

8. Furniture (1) according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that the through opening (13) of the product support surface (1 1) or the set of openings (13) passing through the product support surface (1 1) of the shelf (2) in the case of a plurality of openings through the support surface represents a void area at least equal to 9% with respect to the total area of the product support surface (1 1) of the shelf (2).

9. Furniture (1) according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that the upper product exposure zone (4) is provided with at least one lighting element (14) of the shelf (2) and in that the or at least one of the openings ( 13) passing through the surface (1 1) product support of the shelf (2) is disposed vertically and below the member (14) lighting.

10. Furniture (1) according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that the or at least one, preferably each of the air-blowing openings (9) has the shape of a chamber (15) having an inlet (16) and an outlet (17), this chamber (15) being connected at the input (16) to the lower technical zone (5) and at the output (17) to the upper exposure zone (4), this chamber (15) being provided between its inlet (16) and its outlet (17) of a structure (10) honeycomb adapted to be traversed by a flow of air.

1 1. Furniture (1) according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that the outlet (91) of the or at least one of the openings (9) for blowing air in the upper zone (4) of exposure of the products is oriented upwards.

12. Furniture (1) according to one of the preceding claims,

characterized in that the shelf (2) is delimited by two edges (21) extending transversely to the flow (F) of the incoming air, in that the enclosure (3) is at the level of the zone (4). ) upper exposure, at least partially delimited by walls respectively said front (31) and rear (32) extending transversely to the flow (F) of air to go, and in that the edges (21) of the shelf (2) extending transversely to the flow (F) of air are arranged to spacing the front walls (31) and rear (32) delimiting the upper zone (4) of exposure of the enclosure (3).