Refrigerated vending cabinet.

p0001The invention relates to a refrigerated display cabinet with a shelf assembly and a lower, favorite front of the shelf assembly goods space.

p0002Such furniture, often called chillers, are generally used for storage and display of perishable goods which are offered for sale. They shall be established, for example, in retail establishments in the food industry and often contain milk products or other products requiring refrigeration.

p0003The cooling of the forwardly open shelf assembly is produced in large part by a cooling air curtain, which is guided on the front side facing the customer of the shelf assembly. To that purpose, cooled air in the front upper region of the refrigerated display cabinet, and is lower in the front region, that is at the front edge of the lower goods compartment, removed again.

p0004In order to maintain such a cooling air curtain, the lower goods space is usually produced as a tub, which is closed toward the front by a wall. However, such Refrigerated display cabinets have the disadvantage that home charging the lower goods compartment, the goods must be lifted across this front wall. The commonly used larger containers of goods, for example, all boxes, this means a high cost and adverse social and labor expenses.

p0005Therefore, more recently, the front edge of the lower goods space is often not equipped with a wall, but only provided with a small heel. In some cases, is also dispensed with such a paragraph.

p0006Although the lack of a front wall simplifies the loading of the lower goods compartment, however, the cooling air curtain at the front of the lower goods space is practically offered no guidance. Cold air can forward out of the furniture from falling, so that additional energy consumption for cooling is required. This particularly applies to refrigerated display cabinets, since the cooling air flow is disturbed by frequent removal of goods very often.

p0007Object of the present invention is therefore to provide a refrigerated display cabinet, which is easy to load. It should be guaranteed a good cooling with minimum energy expenditure, in particular, a stable cooling air curtain.

p0008This object is achieved in that an air guide is arranged along the front edge of the lower goods compartment that is oriented vertically in an operating position substantially and can be moved to a loading position in which the lower goods space is directly accessible from the front.

p0009With the help of the movable air guide wall can be dispensed with a fixed front wall of the goods compartment. No compromises with respect to the guiding effect of the cooling air curtain must be received.

p0010When loading the lower goods space the shroud is moved into the loading position. The loading position is, for example, designed so that the entire shroud is below the front edge of the lower goods space, so that no or at least a significant part of shroud protrudes upwards over this edge. Ensure that the product can be inserted directly on the floor of the lower goods compartment.

p0011After completion of the loading process the shroud is again moved back into its original position, the operating position. The temporary failure of the cooling air curtain almost no effect in this case from the temperature inside the refrigerated cabinet.

p0012Opposite refrigerated shelves without front wall, the cooling air curtain at a considerably higher stability. This results in considerable reductions in energy costs arise; For example, according to the invention causes an air guide wall of 10 cm height above the front edge of the lower goods compartment, an energy saving of about 10%.

p0013In an advantageous development of the invention, the shroud merchandiser in the operating position and in the loading position can be locked.

p0014The catch in the loading can be effected for example by a stop against which the shroud is pressed by its own weight. A construction having similar effects is also conceivable for the locking in the operating position.

p0015In a first advantageous variant of the invention, the mobility of the air deflecting wall is realized, that the air deflecting wall is formed around a horizontal axis of rotation foldable. This solution must be achieved with fewer machines and also easy to use. The shroud is, as a rule, worked out from its vertical operating position forward from the off furniture. The angle between the operating and loading position should be significantly higher than 90 °, preferably about 180 °, be such that the folded-down shroud does not hinder the Baladevorgang.

p0016It is advantageous if the axis of rotation at the bottom of the shroud is arranged.

p0017It is also advantageous if the shroud is part of a front door, further comprising a cover which rests on a holder for information carriers.

p0018The front cover is preferably designed as a self-rigid component and can be folded as a whole with the shroud around the rotational axis. In the mounting example price tags or bar code labels can be inserted, pushed or -geklemmt. The cover is normally on the information carriers and must of course be transparent. To change information carriers the front door to the horizontal axis is rotated so that bracket and information carrier are accessible. At the same time the shroud is folded down. Change of price tags and filling the lower goods compartment can therefore be carried out in one operation.

p0019The operation of the holders is particularly convenient when the rotational axis is arranged on or at the front, facing the customer edge of the cover.

p0020The pivot device may further comprise a front panel height, which is arranged below the cover. This is not generally transparent and can for example be painted or printed with decorative motifs. This elaborate design of the designated "front height" here Front of the furniture body (for example, enamel) is superfluous.

p0021The rotation axis is preferably arranged in or at the bottom of the front panel height.

p0022In a second variant of the refrigerated cabinet of the present invention having particularly favorable properties with respect to ease of operation, the shroud is designed to be displaceable in a substantially vertical direction.

p0023You can order without hindering the loading and the operator down under the front edge of the lower goods space, be moved. However, a slightly higher technical effort than the folding variant is required for the increased ease of use.

p0024Particularly advantageously, the vertical displaceability can be realized by a tilting mechanism which is rotatably connected at a first pivot point to the furniture carcass and at a second pivot point to the air deflecting wall.

p0025The pivoting mechanism is rotatably mounted on the pivot points usually about horizontal axes that are parallel to the longitudinal direction of the furniture.

p0026In a favorable embodiment of the pivoting mechanism comprises one or more rod (s) of variable length which is rotatably connected in at its one end to the furniture body and at its other end with the air guide wall / are. It has been shown that in certain cases for a shroud a single telescopic rod may be sufficient.

p0027Here, the first pivot point should preferably be preferably arranged below the lower goods compartment and the second pivot point approximately at the level of the lower edge of the air deflecting wall.

p0028To further increase ease of operation and the reliability of the pivoting mechanism may be equipped with a force assistance device. This can be realized for example by a pneumatic cylinder or a gas spring.

p0029Conveniently for convenient use, it may also be when the pivoting mechanism is equipped with an electric motor, hydraulic or pneumatic drive.

p0030In an advantageous development of the invention, guides are arranged on the furniture body or the lower goods space which hold the lateral edges of the shroud in the operating position in a predetermined position.

p0031As a rule, the pivoting mechanism is attached to the shroud at the lower part, inaccuracies in the adjustment of the shroud may occur. The guides prevent such undesirable effects and filters that the shroud can always be brought into the predetermined operating position, without requiring time-consuming adjustments would be necessary.

p0032The guides should be designed so that they do not hinder the vertical movement into or from the loading position. For this purpose, preferably vertical slots are suitable, which can slide in the lateral edges of the air deflecting wall. Preferably the guides are so dimensioned that the shroud is held laterally during the entire shifting operation.

p0033A Luttleitwand need not extend over the entire length of the cabinet extend. It is also conceivable that only parts of the cooling rack front are provided with a movable shroud.

p0034A disadvantage of the fixed leading walls previously used according to the prior art also is that the customer can only insights from above into the lower goods compartment.

p0035Therefore, it is advantageous in the refrigerated display cabinet according to the invention, when the shroud is at least partly made of transparent material. This allows the customer to view the items stored in the lower goods compartment from the front and from a greater distance.

p0036Other benefits of the integration of a lighting device. So may be disposed on the outer, the customer facing side of the air guide, an illumination device.

p0037In general, such an illumination device is realized by a groove extending in the horizontal direction fluorescent tube. It can also additionally or alternatively light bulbs, such as halogen lamps are used. The light from the illumination shines upwards and backwards and can so the stored in the lower goods compartment of goods from the front and the car parked on the display areas of the shelf assembly objects illuminate obliquely from below.

p0038Integrating air guide and illumination device is particularly advantageous in connection with inserted into the display trays transparent plates, as described in German Patent Application P 40 03 911.0 with the same seniority.

p0039The lighting device may be arranged inside a front door described further above. She is itself is preferably rigidly attached to the furniture body and is accessible in the loading of the front cover or the air guide for repair and maintenance.

p0040In this case it is advantageous if the lighting device is covered on its outwardly facing side by the aforementioned front height trim. Characterized it is accessible even from the outside.

p0041In two already reported variants of sale refrigeration equipment invention, it is advantageous to arrange on the outside of the shroud or the air guide walls a protective strip and inside which the lighting device.

p0042It is particularly favorable, however, if several air guide walls are juxtaposed along the front edge of the lower goods compartment. Preferably, all the air guide walls are constructed identically. The formed by the air guide front cover of the lower goods compartment is therefore in several independent divided from each other movable portions.

p0043During loading of the lower goods compartment, only one or at most two sections must be folded (air guide) forward or lowered down. The smaller the individual air deflecting walls, the lower the disturbance of Kühlluftfühlung during the insertion of goods in the lower goods space.

p0044When a plurality of vertically movable Luftleitwänden the lateral guides above described are particularly important so that each adjacent air guide walls connect flush with one another.

p0045If multiple air deflecting walls are disposed next to each other, the invention can also be realized in a third variant, is formed horizontally displaceable in accordance with the one or more of the air deflecting walls is / are.

p0046This allows for relatively simple construction-wise to achieve the main advantages of the invention. From the operating position of one of the air guide is brought into the loading position by being pushed past right in front of or behind one of the adjacent shroud until the desired portion of the lower goods space is accessible from the front. The locking in operating and loading position generally results from itself by the friction in the horizontal displacement process.

p0047In an advantageous embodiment of the third variant, the horizontal displacement is realized by a double guide that surrounds the lower edge of a shroud and loading position the bottom two air guide in the operating position.

p0048Thus two adjacent air guide walls can be moved horizontally independently.

p0049The invention and further details of the invention will be explained in more detail below by means of embodiments, which are shown schematically in the figures. In the figures:<dl id="dl0001"><dt>figure 1</dt><dd> a schematic diagram of the first two variants of the invention in a cross-section through the front portion of a refrigerated display cabinet according to the invention,</dd><dt>figure 2</dt><dd> an embodiment of the second variant of a refrigerated display cabinet according to the invention in perspective,</dd><dt>figure 3</dt><dd> the front lower portion of the refrigerated cabinet of Figure 2 in cross section with an air deflecting wall in the operating position, </dd><dt>figure 4</dt><dd> the front lower portion of the refrigerated cabinet of Figure 2 in cross-section with a shroud in loading position,</dd><dt>figure 5</dt><dd> a portion of the front of the refrigerated cabinet of Figure 2 in a front view,</dd><dt>figure </dt><dd>6 an embodiment of the first variant of a refrigerated display cabinet according to the invention in perspective,</dd><dt>figure 7</dt><dd> the front lower portion of the refrigerated cabinet of Figure 6 in cross-section,</dd><dt>figure 8</dt><dd> another embodiment of a refrigerated display cabinet according to the invention with integrated in the shroud lighting,</dd><dt>figure 9</dt><dd> various embodiments A to G of the front flap with air guide according to the invention and</dd><dt>figure 10</dt><dd> an exemplary embodiment of the third variant of the invention in a perspective partial view and</dd><dt>figure 11</dt><dd> in cross section (plane A of Figure 10).</dd></dl>

p0050Mutually corresponding components of the various embodiments are provided in the drawings with the same reference numerals.

p0051The principle of the invention and two of their preferred variants can be seen from the schematic drawing of FIG. 1 It shows only the front portion of a refrigerated display cabinet according to the invention, the rest of the structure corresponds to that of an ordinary refrigerated shelve and is described further below in Figures 2 and 6. FIG.

p0052The lower goods compartment 2 of the refrigerated cabinet of the invention has no fixed front wall, but its bottom 3 is only by a small paragraph from the air inlet 4 on the front, accessible to the customer separately (in Figure 1, right). Before air inlet 4 any more outer wall is permanently installed.

p0053During operation of the refrigerated shelve cold air is guided past display shelves in a cooling air curtain at the front (not shown in Figure 1). This is to be performed along the direction indicated by the arrow 11 direction through the air inlet 4 back to the refrigerant evaporator. If larger quantities fall of cold air at the air inlet 4 pass forward from the furniture, the energy consumption for cooling is significantly increased.

p0054According to the quality and stability of the air through a movable shroud 5 are significantly increased. By the arrows 10a and 10b, two variants of the mobility of the shroud 5 are indicated: on the one hand a displacement in the vertical downward direction (arrow 10b), on the other hand a folding operation to a at the lower edge of the air deflecting horizontally (perpendicular to the drawing plane of FIG 1 ) axis of rotation 8. in both cases, the shroud can be moved 5 from an operating position (solid lines in figure 1) in one or more loading positions (dash-dotted representation).

p0055a sealing strip 18 may be provided between the lower portion of the shroud and the furniture body. In the refrigerated display cabinet according to the invention air guide 5 can be realized up to a height of about 40 cm. of course with the height of the shroud 5 grow quality and stability of the cooling air curtain on; depending on product and container size, however, the comfort of the customers reaching into the lower goods space deteriorates 2. It is therefore in practice compromise on the level of the shroud must be received by 5, it will be approximately in the range of 10 to 50 cm, preferably between 20 and 45 cm.

p00562 shows a refrigerated display cabinet according to the second variant of the invention is illustrated. The basic structure consists of a shelf assembly with display areas 1 and arranged below the lower goods compartment 2 with a base 3. The lower goods compartment 2 is preferred over the front edge of the display areas. 1 He has no fixed front wall, but is freely accessible from the front. In its front area there is an air inlet 4, which extends over the entire length of the cabinet. Here is the cold air, which falls as a cooling air curtain in front of the display areas 1 down, withdrawn.

p0057are according to the invention before the lower goods compartment 2 of refrigerated shelve of 2 movable air guide walls 5a, 5b, 5c arranged. A (5b) of the air guide is illustrated in loading position, the other (5a, 5c) are located in the operating position. The operation and implementation of the vertical displacement can be seen most clearly in the cross-sectional views of Figures 3 and fourth

p0058The movable suspension is realized by a telescopic rod 19 per shroud (5a, 5b, 5c). It can be provided per shroud several such telescopic rods. The telescopic rod 19 is 20 (in the case of the embodiment of a drive unit 22) connected at a first pivot point to the furniture carcass and at a second pivot point 21 to the air deflecting wall (5a, 5b, 5c). The Antreibseinheit 22 may comprise, for example an electric motor. Due to the variable length of the telescopic rod 19 the rotational movement about the first pivot point 20 in a vertical linear movement of the air deflecting wall (5a, 5b, 5c) is reacted.

p0059The pivoting mechanism, in particular the drive unit 22 and the telescopic rod 19 are by a panel of a lower cover plate 24 and two a gap enclosing the upper cover plates 23 largely obscured (Figure 5). This interference of the optical overall impression of the furniture are avoided.

p0060The move operation is supported by guides 25 which are fixed to the lower goods compartment 2, preferably in the vicinity of the air inlet 4th The guides 25 engage around the side edges of the air guide walls 5a, 5b, 5c and define an always constant displacement.

p0061The upper part of the shroud 5a, 5b, 5c is transparent, as is indicated in Figures 3 and 4 by waiving hatching. The hatched, serving as front height paneling part of the shroud 5a, 5b, 5c may be opaque, for example painted or printed.

p0062On the outside of the shroud 5a, 5b, 5c a protective strip 26 is arranged. By attachment to the shroud (rather than at the front edge of the lower goods space 2) is the protective strip 26 at a level in which they absorb shock with cart optimally and can thus produce the desired protective effect.

p0063In addition, the protective strip can serve as a cover for a lighting device 16, which is located in its interior. The lighting device 16, generally one or more fluorescent tubes, illuminated by the transparent part of the shroud 5a, 5b, 5c through the lower goods space and commodities on the display shelves. Due to the arrangement on the outside of the shroud 5a, 5b, 5c gives a good insulation against an entry of heat that is emitted from the lighting device. Nevertheless, the lighting can be housed in the immediate vicinity of the illuminated goods. It is particularly favorable equipping the plates with glass inserts according to the German Patent Application P 40 03 911.0.

p0064The refrigerated section of Figure 6 has the same basic structure as the previous embodiment, so a shelf assembly with display areas 1 and arranged below the lower goods compartment 2 without a fixed front wall.

p0065In the left half of the cabinet of Figure 6 is an example in the vertically arranged air guide 5a is shown. According to the invention it is about a horizontally running axis of rotation 8, as a rule, realized by an ordinary hinge, foldable. The shroud is part of a front cover 7, in which also a cover 6a is integrated. The cover 6a rests on a support 13 for an information carrier. In this case, it involves a price tag bar with a flat bearing surface. The information carrier are clamped at their upper and lower ends. The rotational axis 8 runs in the front lower portion of the front cover 7a.

p0066The refrigerated section includes two front flaps 7a, 7b, each with an air guide wall 5a, 5b and a cover 6a, 6b. The right front flap 7b is shown in the loading position. Here goods containers can be inserted directly in front of the bottom 3 of the lower goods compartment. 2 Then the front flap 7b is pivoted back into the operating position in which the shroud is 5a, 5b arranged vertically, as shown in the left front cover 7a.

p0067In Figure 7, the front section 9 of the furniture carcass velvet shroud 5a is shown in detail. Arrow 10 indicates the folding process by axis. 8 The wavy line drawn arrows 11a, 11b show the cooling air flow. In the cooling air curtain downwardly flowing air (arrow 11a) is sucked at the air inlet 4, and forwarded through the cooling air passage 12 (arrow 11b).

p0068The effect of the shroud 5a is apparent from the cross section of Figure 7: It prevents cold air to the air inlet 4 misses and falls forward out of the furniture. Cooling air losses and associated increased energy costs are prevented thereby.

p00698 shows another variant of a refrigerated shelve invention. Where appropriate the same reference numerals were used as in the preceding figures. On the lowercase for the portions of the pivoting device has been omitted.

p0070The front cover 7 of 8 in addition to the shroud 5 has a front panel height 14, which covers the refrigeration units on its front. A shoulder 6 'corresponds here to the cover 6a, 6b of the first embodiment. However, this does not lie directly on the front section 9 of the furniture body, but carries a bracket 13 for information carriers on its top.

p0071Below the paragraph 6 'and between shroud 5 and front height panel 14, an illumination device 16 is arranged. It generally consists of one or several along the front edge of the furniture extending fluorescent lamps. The shroud 5 is already made transparent in most cases, to provide an insight into the lower goods space. 2 In this case, however, this is absolutely necessary, so that light from the lighting apparatus 16 can radiate into the interior of the cabinet, as indicated by dashes 15th

p0072This illumination device 16 is preferably combined with glass inserts 17 in the display areas 1 according to the simultaneously filed with the present application, German Patent Application P 40 03 911.0.

p0073The integration of the lighting device 16 in the front cover 7 has the advantage that is used for the first the front cover 7 with the air guide 5 as a transparent disc in an additional function as a housing for the lighting device 16; secondly, the lighting device is easy to make them accessible 16 for maintenance and repair work. All you need is (as in the supplying of new goods in the lower goods compartment 2) the front cover 7 about the axis 8 to fold downwards (arrow 10). The illumination device 16, which also always generates heat, so sitting outside the refrigerated area.

p00749 shows further variants of front covers 7 with Luftleitwänden 5 according to the invention. Reference numerals are only shown in the variants A and C for clarity. In all embodiments of A to G, the rotation axis 8 is indicated by a cross. The lower goods space 2 is located on the left of the front flap. 7

p0075All seven variants have a shroud 5 and a cover. 6 While all the covers 6 are practically designed flat, the air guide 5 from the simple design according to figures 6, 7 and 8 or variants C and G of Figure 9 (ie flat, almost exactly vertical arrangement) may differ. So plain, but the vertical slightly inclined variants A, B, D are shown. Also curved (F) or kinked (E) versions of the shroud 5 are possible.

p0076The cover 6 may be horizontal (A, G) or also in the angle to the horizontal disposed (B to F). The front flap 7 in the variants C to G in addition have a front panel height 14th These can be printed on both sides in color.

p0077Figures 10 and 11 show the third variant of the invention: the air deflecting walls (5a, 5b, 5c) are here horizontally displaceable.

p0078When changing bon the operating position into the loading position which is arranged in Figure 10 in the middle shroud is pushed 5b to the right example. As most clearly seen in Figure 11, a double guide makes 28 to ensure that the shroud may 5b contactless slide past the adjacent shroud 5c.

p0079Ironing 27 ensure a stable vertical position of the air guide walls 5a, 5b, 5c, in operating and loading position and when moving in the horizontal direction. When the brackets 27 may also be 5a or 5c a seal provided between the inner surface of the outer air guide wall 5b and the outer surface of the inner shroud, which is not shown in the drawings. The seal prevents losses by between two adjacent Luftleitwänden cold air leakage.