WO2020026066A1

WO2020026066A1 - A door for a refrigerator

Info

Publication number: WO2020026066A1
Application number: PCT/IB2019/056237
Authority: WO
Inventors: Claudio CIOFI; Stefano CAIONE
Original assignee: Cisaplast S.P.A.
Priority date: 2018-08-01
Filing date: 2019-07-22
Publication date: 2020-02-06
Also published as: EP3830504B1; EP3830504B8; EP3830504C0; EP3830504A1; ES2954414T3; IT201800007738A1

Abstract

Described herein is a door (10) for a refrigerator cabinet (1) provided with an access opening (A), said door (10) comprising: a counter-frame (11) with rectangular shape fixed to the refrigerator cabinet (1) to surround at least partially the access opening (A), and a panel (12) able to cooperate with the counter-frame (11) to close at least partially the access opening (A) and provided with a plate (13) of insulating and optically transparent material and with a support frame (14), with quadrangular shape, able to support said plate (13).

Description

A DOOR FOR A REFRIGERATOR

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to refrigerator cabinets.

PRIOR ART

Refrigerator cabinets are known, for example vertical, or provided with vertical shelves, which have a housing body that defines an internal compartment in which the products to be exhibited to the public are positioned and refrigerated and to which access is gained by means of an access opening made available by the housing body itself.

A known problem of such refrigerator cabinet is the high heat dispersion be cause the internal compartment of the refrigerator is in communication with the outside environment.

A purpose of the present invention is to solve said problems of the prior art, within a solution that is simple, rational and has low cost.

This object is achieved by the features of the invention set forth in the inde pendent claim. The dependent claims outline preferred and/or particularly ad vantageous aspects of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention in particular makes available a door for a refrigerator cabinet provided with an access opening, said door comprising:

- a counter-frame with rectangular shape fixed to the refrigerator cabinet to surround at least partially the access opening, and

- a panel adapted to cooperate with the counter-frame to close at least partially the access opening and provided with a plate of insulating and transparent material and with a support frame, with quadrangular shape, able to support said frame.

Thanks to this solution, energy wastage is reduced, because when a user does not have to remove a product from the cabinet, chilled air is prevented from escaping.

According to one aspect, the door may comprise a heating apparatus of the plate.

In this way, the fogging of the plate is reduced, always assuring a correct vision of the products present in the cabinet.

According to another aspect of the invention, the heating apparatus of the plate may comprise four independent heating elements, each fixed to a respective side of the counter-frame.

In this way, the anti-fogging effect is assured even if a heating element fails, because the plate continues to be heated by the other heating elements. Alternatively or additionally, the invention can provide for the heating appa ratus of the plate comprises four independent heating elements, each fixed to a respective side of the support frame.

In particular, each heating element is able to be connected to a source of elec tricity so as to obtain a circuit in parallel with the other heating elements.

According to another aspect of the invention, the panel is movable between a closure position, in which it prevents access to the access opening portion identified by the counter-frame, and an access position, in which it allows ac cess to the access opening portion identified by the counter-frame, and said heating apparatus of the plate comprises at least one heating element, fixed to one between the counter-frame and the support frame, and a control device configured to interrupt the power supply to the heating element when the panel is in the access position.

In this way, energy wastage is further reduced.

For example, said control device can comprise a switch configured to interrupt the power supply to the heating element when the panel is in the access posi tion.

In this way, control is achieved in a simple, but at the same time reliable man ner.

The invention also makes available a refrigerator cabinet comprising:

- a container body defining an internal compartment adapted to house products to be refrigerated and provided with an access opening

- an access door to the internal compartment according to any of the claims from 1 to 7.

In addition, the invention makes available a refrigerator cabinet comprising: a container body defining an internal compartment adapted to house products to be refrigerated and provided with an access opening - a plurality of access doors to the internal compartment according to any of the claims from 1 to 7, set side by side to each other to cover the access opening.

Thanks to this solution, it is possible to prevent energy dispersion even in re frigerator cabinets of considerable dimensions, with a simple and modular so lution. Moreover, if the heating elements are present, given the use of inde pendent heating elements, the failure of one of these elements in one door does not entail malfunctions in the other doors.

According to an aspect of the invention, the refrigerator cabinet comprising a quick-release fastening assembly, configured to fasten the counter-frames of the adjacent doors to each other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the invention shall become readily appar ent from reading the following description provided by way of non-limiting indi cation, with the aid of the figures illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a refrigerating cabinet according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a refrigerating cab inet according to the invention.

Figure 3 is a detailed view of the invention, common both to the embodiment of Figure 2 and to the embodiment of Figure 1 .

Figure 4 is a detailed view of the invention, common both to the embodiment of Figure 2 and to the embodiment of Figure 1 .

Figure 5 is a schematic representation of a counter-frame of a door of the re frigerator cabinet provided with a heating apparatus according to the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With particular reference to the figures, the reference numeral 1 globally des ignates a refrigerator cabinet, which is provided with a container body that de fines an internal compartment V for housing products to be refrigerated, said internal compartment being in communication with the environment external to the refrigerator cabinet 1 by means of an access opening A. The refrigerator cabinet 1 is of the vertical type, or it has inside the internal compartment V at least one shelf that defines a substantially horizontal support surface.

The refrigerator cabinet 1 comprises a door 10 adapted to close selectively, and at least partially, the access opening A to the internal compartment V. Said door 10 comprises a counter-frame 1 1 fixed, for example rigidly, to the container body to surround at least partially the access opening A.

The counter-frame 1 1 has rectangular shape, i.e. it is shaped as a rectangular frame that comprises a first vertical upright 1 1 1 , an opposite second vertical upright 1 12, a first horizontal crosspiece 1 13 and a second horizontal cross piece 1 14.

The door 10 also comprises a panel 12 associated with the counter-frame, for example hinged to the counter-frame 1 1 , and configured to cooperate with the counter-frame to close the access opening at least partially.

Said panel 12 is movable between a closure position, in which it completely bears on the counter-frame 1 1 and prevents access to an access opening por tion A subtended to the counter-frame, and an access position, in which it is at least partially raised from the counter-frame and allows access to the access opening portion identified by the counter-frame.

The panel comprises a plate 13, of thermally insulating and optically transpar ent material, and a support frame 14 of the plate.

The support frame 14 is directly associated with the counter-frame 1 1 , for ex ample by means of hinges 15.

The support frame 14 has rectangular shape, i.e. it is shaped as a rectangular frame that comprises a first vertical upright 141 , an opposite second vertical upright 142, a first horizontal crosspiece 143 and a second horizontal cross piece 144.

The panel 12 can comprise a plurality of plates 13, fixed by the support frame 14 so as to form at least one sealed chamber between the two plates 13 facing each other.

The panel 12 comprises a handle 15 fixed to the support frame 14. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the refrigerator cabinet comprises a plu rality of doors 10, which altogether close the access opening A of the refriger ator cabinet 1 .

In practice, the refrigerator cabinet comprises a plurality of counter-frames 1 1 set mutually side by side along the respective vertical uprights (so as to glob ally surround the access opening) and a plurality of panels 12, each associated with a respective counter-frame 1 1 .

The counter-frames 1 1 are fixed to the container body and to each other, for example the vertical uprights of two adjacent counter-frames are in mutual contact and they are rigidly fixed to each other, preferably by quick-release means. The meaning of the term“quick-release means” is means that do not need dedicated tools to be actuated.

Both in the embodiment of Figure 1 and in the embodiment of Figure 2, each door 10 can comprise a heating apparatus 16.

The heating apparatus 16 comprises at least four independent heating ele ments 17.

The heating apparatus 16 comprises at least four heating elements 17, each of which is electrically connected in parallel with respect to the others to a source of electricity.

In practice, each heating element 17 comprises an electrical resistor and an electrical connector 19 connected independently with respect to the connect ors of the other heating elements to a power supply circuit associated with the source of electricity.

The four heating elements 17 can be positioned in the four sides of the counter frame or of the support frame.

The heating elements positioned in the four sides are schematically shown in Figures 2, 3 and 5, however they can be present in all figures and embodi ments.

For example, these heating elements, or the electrical resistors of the heating elements, have substantially equal extension to that of the respective side of the frame or of the counter-frame.

It is also possible that the heating apparatus 16 can comprise at least eight heating elements 17, of which four are positioned in the four sides of the coun ter-frame 1 1 and four positioned in the four sides of the support frame 14.

In particular, the first vertical upright 1 1 1 , the second vertical upright 1 12, each of the first horizontal crosspiece 1 13 and of the second horizontal crosspiece 1 14 of the counter-frame 1 1 has a seat for housing a heating element 17. Each of the first vertical upright 141 , the second vertical upright 142, the first horizontal crosspiece 143 and the second horizontal crosspiece 144 of the counter-frame 12 also has a seat for housing a heating element 17.

The heating apparatus 16 also comprises a control device configured to inter rupt the power supply to heating elements 17 when the panel 12 is detected to be in the access position.

For example, said control device comprises a switch 18 adapted to be inter posed between the support frame 14 and the counter-frame 1 1 .

In particular, said switch 18 has a portion that is integral with the support frame 14 and a portion integral with the counter-frame 1 1 .

Said switch is, for example, a lamina switch that is closed in the presence of a magnetic field. However, the switch may be any type of electro-mechanical or optical switch suitable for the purpose.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible to many modifications and vari ants, all falling within the same inventive concept.

Moreover, all details can be replaced with other technically equivalent ele ments.

In practice, the materials used, as well as their shapes and dimensions, can be of any type according to the technical requirements without thereby depart ing from the scope of protection of the following claims.

Claims

1. A door (10) for a refrigerator cabinet (1 ) provided with an access opening (A), said door (10) comprising:

- a counter-frame (1 1 ) of rectangular shape fastened to the refrigerator cabinet (1 ) to surround at least partially the access opening (A), and

- a panel (12) adapted to cooperate with the counter-frame (1 1 ) to close at least partially the access opening (A) and provided with a plate (13) of insulating and optically transparent material and with a support frame (14), with quadrangular shape, able to support said frame (13).

2. The door (10) according to claim 1 , comprising a heating apparatus (16) of the plate (17).

3. The door (10) according to claim 2, wherein the heating apparatus (16) of the plate (13) comprises four heating elements (17), each independent and fastened to a respective side of the counter-frame (1 1 ).

4. The door (10) according to claim 2, wherein the heating apparatus (16) of the plate (13) comprises four heating elements (17), each independent and fastened to a respective side of the support frame (14).

5. The door (10) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein each heating element (17) is adapted to be connected to a source of electricity so as to obtain a circuit in parallel with the other heating elements (17).

6. The door (10) according to claim 2, wherein the panel (12) is movable between a closure position, in which it prevents access to the access opening portion (A) identified by the counter-frame (1 1 ), and an access position, in which it allows access to the access opening portion (A) identified by the coun ter-frame (1 1 ), and in which said heating apparatus (16) of the plate (13) com prises at least one heating element (17), fixed to one between the counter frame (1 1 ) and the support frame (14), and a control device configured to in terrupt the power supply to the heating element (17) when the panel (12) is in the access position.

7. The door (10) according to claim 6, wherein the control device comprises a switch (18) configured to interrupt the power supply to the heating element (17) when the panel (12) is in the access position.

8. A refrigerator cabinet (1 ) comprising:

- a container body defining an internal compartment (V) adapted to house products to be refrigerated and provided with an access opening (A), and

- an access door (10) to the internal compartment (V) according to any one of the claims from 1 to 7.

9. A refrigerator cabinet (1 ) comprising:

- a plurality of access doors (10) to the internal compartment (V) accord ing to any one of the claims from 1 to 7, set mutually side by side to cover the access opening (A)

10. The refrigerator cabinet (1 ) according to claim 9, comprising a quick-re lease fastening assembly configured to fasten the counter-frames (1 1 ) of the adjacent doors (10) to each other.