Refrigerated sales cabinet
Abstract
Refrigerated sales cabinet (20), comprising: a cabinet body (22) that provides a refrigerated sales space to support refrigerated goods to be presented therein; at least one door (38); a door frame (21) having an upper post (34), a lower post (36), and at least two upright posts (32); wherein at least one of the posts (32, 34, 36) comprises: a main body (4) having a constant cross section that includes a rear wall part (4a), two side wall parts (4b), which they extend respectively forward from the rear wall part (4a), characterized by a support member (4c) extending between the two side wall parts (4b); an insulating front element (9), which is connected to the support member (4c) by means of at least one connection element (8a, 8b) located in a central area of the support member (4c) of the main body (4) , the central area is spaced laterally from the two sides of the side wall (4b); wherein the width of the contact area in the connecting element (8a, 8b) between the insulating front element (9) and the support member (4c), seen in a cross-sectional view, is less than 10% of the width of the support member (4c).

Term
6 yearsto projected expiry
Projected expiry 24 September 2032, counted from filing; an application has no term until it is granted.
- Priority and filed
- Published
- Today
- Projected expiry
15 claims: 10 independent, 5 dependent
- 1ES 2 671 237 T3 REIVINDICACIONES 1. Armario de venta refrigerado (20), que comprende:un cuerpo de armario (22) que proporciona un espacio refrigerado de ventas para soportar mercancías refrigeradas que van a ser presentadas en el mismo;al menos una puerta (38);un marco de puerta (21) que tiene un poste superior (34), un poste inferior (36), y al menos dos postes erguidos (32);en donde al menos uno de los postes (32, 34, 36) comprende: un cuerpo principal (4) que tiene una sección transversal constante que incluye una parte de pared trasera (4a), dos partes de pared lateral (4b), que se extienden respectivamente hacia delante desde la parte de pared trasera (4a), caracterizado por un miembro de soporte (4c) que se extiende entre las dos partes de pared lateral (4b);un elemento delantero aislante (9), que se conecta al miembro de soporte (4c) por medio de al menos un elemento de conexión (8a, 8b) ubicado en un área central del miembro de soporte (4c) del cuerpo principal (4), el área central está espaciada lateralmente de las dos partes de pared lateral (4b);en donde la anchura del área de contacto en el elemento de conexión (8a, 8b) entre el elemento delantero aislante (9) y el miembro de soporte (4c), mirada en una vista en sección transversal, es menos del 10 % de la anchura del miembro de soporte (4c).
- 2Armario de venta refrigerado (20) de la reivindicación 1, en donde el elemento delantero aislante (9) se conecta al miembro de soporte (4c) del cuerpo principal (4) por medio de una conexión de salto elástico que comprende una primera escuadra de sujeción (8a) formada en el miembro de soporte (4c) que se acopla con una correspondiente segunda escuadra de sujeción (8b) formada en el lado trasero del elemento delantero aislante (9).
- 3Armario de venta refrigerado (20) de la reivindicación 2, en donde las escuadras de sujeción (8a, 8b) comprenden respectivamente al menos un gancho, los ganchos de las escuadras de sujeción primera y segunda (8a, 8b) se enganchan entre sí a fin de conectar el elemento delantero aislante (9) al cuerpo principal (4).
- 4Armario de venta refrigerado (20) de la reivindicación 3, en donde el al menos un gancho del elemento delantero aislante (9) está provisto de una superficie inclinada orientada alejándose del elemento delantero aislante (9), y/o en donde el al menos un gancho del cuerpo principal (4) está provisto de una superficie inclinada orientada alejándose del cuerpo principal (4).
- 5Armario de venta refrigerado (20) de cualquiera de las reivindicaciones 2 a 4, en donde las escuadras de sujeción (8a, 8b) se forman como elementos extruidos que se extienden a lo largo de la longitud del poste (32, 34, 36).
- 6Armario de venta refrigerado (20) de cualquiera de las reivindicaciones anteriores, en donde la conexión de salto elástico (8a, 8b) es simétrica con respecto a un plano de simetría del poste (32, 34, 36).
- 7Armario de venta refrigerado (20) de cualquiera de las reivindicaciones anteriores, en donde no hay contacto entre el elemento delantero aislante (9) y el cuerpo principal (4) distinto al contacto proporcionado por el al menos un elemento de conexión (8a, 8b) en donde en particular hay al menos una holgura de al menos 3 mm entre el elemento delantero aislante (9) y el cuerpo principal (4). ES 2 671 237 T3
- 8EL armario de venta refrigerado (20) de cualquiera de las reivindicaciones anteriores, que comprende un calentador eléctrico dispuesto en el elemento delantero aislante (9).
- 9El armario de venta refrigerado (20) de cualquiera de las reivindicaciones anteriores, en donde dicho elemento delantero aislante (9) comprende, de atrás adelante, un panel trasero (10), un panel delantero (11) que forma la superficie delantera del poste (32, 34, 36), y una capa térmicamente aislante (12) dispuesta entre el panel trasero (10) y el panel delantero (11), y en donde la capa térmicamente aislante (12) comprende en particular al menos uno de una espuma térmicamente aislante, un aerogel nanoporoso y/o un panel al vacío.
- 10El armario de venta refrigerado (20) de la reivindicación 9, en donde dicha capa térmicamente aislante (12) está emparedada entre dicho panel trasero (10) y dicho panel delantero (11), y/o en donde dicho panel trasero (10) y dicho panel delantero (11) junto con dos tiras de pared lateral respectivas (10b) encierran completamente a dicha capa térmicamente aislante (12).
- 11El armario de venta refrigerado (20) de la reivindicación 9 o 10, en donde el panel trasero (10) y/o el panel delantero (11) comprenden un material plástico, en particular PVC.
- 12El armario de venta refrigerado (20) de cualquiera de las reivindicaciones 9 a 11, en donde el panel trasero (10) y el panel delantero (11) se conectan entre sí por medio de una segunda conexión de salto elástico proporcionada por miembros de escuadra de sujeción tercero y cuarto (8c, 8d).
- 13El armario de venta refrigerado (20) de cualquiera de las reivindicaciones 9 a 12, en donde al menos una superficie delantera del panel delantero (11) y/o una parte del panel trasero (10) son cubiertas con un recubrimiento térmicamente aislante (11a) en particular un recubrimiento (11a) que emplea nanotecnología para proporcionar aislamiento térmico.
- 14El armario de venta refrigerado (20) de cualquiera de las reivindicaciones 9 a 13, en donde se dispone un calentador eléctrico adyacente o en contacto con el panel delantero (11).
- 15Método para reducir la condensación en la parte delantera de un armario de venta refrigerado (20) que comprende:un cuerpo de armario (22) que proporciona un espacio refrigerado de ventas para soportar en el mismo mercancías refrigeradas que van a ser vendidas;al menos una puerta (38);un marco de puerta (21) que tiene un poste superior (34), un poste inferior (36), y al menos dos postes erguidos (32), cada uno de los postes (32, 34, 36) tiene un cuerpo principal (4) que comprende una parte trasera (4a), dos partes laterales (4b) que se extienden desde la parte trasera (4a) y un miembro de soporte (4c) que se extiende entre las dos partes laterales (4b);en donde el método comprende las etapas de: conectar un elemento delantero térmicamente aislante (9) al cuerpo principal (4) por medio de al menos un elemento de conexión (8a, 8b), que se dispone en un área central del miembro de soporte (4c) del cuerpo principal (4), en donde dicha parte central está espaciada lateralmente de las dos partes laterales (4b), y en donde la extensión del área de contacto entre el elemento delantero aislante (9) y el miembro de soporte (4c) proporcionado por el ES 2 671 237 T3 elemento de conexión (8a, 8b) en una dirección paralela a la extensión horizontal del elemento delantero aislante (9) es menos del 10 % de dicha extensión horizontal del elemento delantero aislante (9).
Independent claims15
122 paragraphs in 11 sections, as filed
ES 2 671 237 T3
DESCRIPTION
Refrigerated sales cabinet
The present invention relates to a refrigerated sales cabinet.
Refrigerated sales cabinets that are known in the art respectively comprise a cabinet body, side panels, a door frame and at least one door, wherein the side panels are installed on the sides of the cabinet body, the door frame It is installed in the cabinet body, the door is installed in the door frame, and sealing strips are provided between the cabinet, the door and the door frame.
The door frame comprising a front surface, which is exposed to ambient conditions, is cooled when the refrigerated sales cabinet is in operation. If the temperature of the front surface drops below the dew point, humid ambient air condenses on this front surface causing water droplets to appear, which is uncomfortable for customers. Therefore, there is a need to prevent the temperature of this front surface from falling below the dew point temperature.
A refrigerator door assembly as described in US 4 891 912 A has a thermally efficient door mounting frame that includes a forward structural frame member mounted within the opening of a refrigerator cabinet to provide a finished appearance. attractive to the frame, a separate rear structural frame member to establish a door closing sealing surface against which the doors of the assembly close and which can be made of less expensive and / or less heat conducting material than the forward structural frame member, and a flexible plastic barrier sheet interposed between the leading and trailing rear structural members to thermally insulate the structural members from each other. Stitch-like connections are formed from adjacent connecting ridges of the leading and trailing structural members together without substantial intervening contact. Various magnetically attractable seal strip arrangements are described that are adapted for use in low temperature refrigeration units without accumulation of condensation or frost.
A door frame according to the prior art comprises an electrical heating element, which functions to maintain the temperature of the front surface above the dew point in order to prevent condensation of ambient air on the door frame. The electrical energy consumed by such an electrical heating element is very high and contributes considerably to the total energy consumed by the refrigerated sales cabinet in operation.
Therefore it would be beneficial to minimize the electrical power consumption of the refrigerated sales cabinet while still reliably preventing condensation on the front surface of a door frame of a refrigerated sales cabinet.
A refrigerated sales cabinet according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention comprises a cabinet body that provides a refrigerated sales space for supporting refrigerated goods to be displayed therein, at least one door, a door frame having a top post, one bottom post, and at least two upright posts that extend between the top post and the bottom post. At least one of the posts comprises a main body with a substantially constant cross section including a rear wall portion, two side wall portions, respectively extending forward from the rear wall portion, and a support member extending from the rear wall portion. extends between the two side wall parts. The post further includes an insulating front element comprising, from rear to front, a rear panel, a front panel forming the
ES 2 671 237 T3 front surface of the post, and a thermally insulating layer, which is arranged between the rear panel and the front panel. The front insulating member is connected to the support member by means of at least one connection member that is positioned in a central area of the support member of the main body. The central area is laterally spaced from the two side wall parts and the width of the contact area between the insulating front element and the support member provided by the connecting element, viewed in a cross-sectional view, is less than 10%. , in particular less than 5%, of the width of the support member.
In one embodiment, the central area of the support member is equidistantly spaced from the two side parts of the main body.
The second exemplary embodiment, as well as Figures 3-5 and all steps related thereto, are not part of the claimed invention described in claim 1.
A refrigerated sales cabinet according to a second exemplary embodiment comprises a cabinet body that provides a refrigerated sales space for supporting refrigerated goods to be displayed therein, at least one door, a door frame having a top post, a lower post, and at least two upright posts that extend between the upper post and the lower post. At least one of the posts comprises an air duct that allows air to be conducted through the post. At least one fan is connected to transmit fluids to the air duct, allowing air to be transported from the environment through the air duct by operating the fan.
An exemplary method of reducing condensation at the front of a refrigerated sales cabinet comprising a cabinet body that provides a refrigerated sales space to support refrigerated merchandise to be sold therein, at least one door, a door frame that It has an upper post, a lower post, and at least two upright posts, each of the posts has a main body comprising a rear part, two side parts extending from the rear and a front part extending between the two side parts comprises the steps of: connecting a thermally insulating front element to the main body by means of at least one connecting element, which is arranged in a central area of the front part of the main body, wherein the central part is laterally spaced from the two lateral parts and wherein the extent of the contact area between the front insulating element and the front part is provided by the connecting element in a direction parallel to the horizontal extension of the front insulating element it is less than 10%, in particular less than 5%, of said horizontal extension of the insulating front element.
A further method of reducing condensation at the front of a refrigerated sales cabinet, comprising a cabinet body having a refrigerated sales space to support refrigerated merchandise to be sold therein, at least one door, and a frame of gate that has a top post, a bottom post, and at least two upright posts that span between the top post and the bottom post, includes the step of blowing ambient air through an air duct provided in at least one of the posts.
The description of the invention will be more easily understood with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art appreciate that the accompanying drawings are exemplary only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the invention. In the drawings:
Figure 1 shows an exploded view of a front access type refrigerated vending cabinet with doors and a door frame according to a first embodiment of the invention.
ES 2 671 237 T3
Figure 2 shows a horizontal cross section through one of the upright posts of the door frame.
Figure 3 shows an exploded view of a front access type refrigerated vending cabinet with doors and a door frame according to a second embodiment which is not part of the claimed invention.
Figure 4 shows an enlarged view of a part of a door frame of a refrigerated sales cabinet according to a second embodiment which is not part of the claimed invention.
Figure 5 shows a schematic view of an air-liquid separator, which is not part of the claimed invention.
Figures 1 to 5 and the following explanation describe particular embodiments of the invention to teach those skilled in the art how to produce and use the best modes of the invention. In order to teach the principle of the invention, various conventional aspects have been simplified or omitted. Those skilled in the art should understand that variations arising from these embodiments are also within the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that the features to be described below can be combined in various ways to form numerous variations of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the following particular embodiments and is merely defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
First realization:
A front access type refrigerated vending cabinet 20 with doors 38 and a door frame 21 according to a first exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 1.
The refrigerated vending cabinet 20 shown in Figure 1 comprises a cabinet body 22, a left side panel 30, a right side panel 31, a door frame 21, and a plurality of doors 38. The cabinet body 22 comprises a bottom piece 26, a roof plate 24, a rear wall 27 and a plurality of shelves 28 arranged therebetween.
A complete refrigeration circuit, comprising a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device and an evaporator, can be installed in the cabinet body 22, in order to provide a self-contained refrigerated cabinet that only needs to be connected to a power supply electric to function.
Alternatively, within the cabinet body 22 only one or more evaporators can be installed, the evaporators are configured to be connected for transmission of fluids to an external refrigeration circuit provided in the building in which the sales cabinet is to be installed. cooled.
The refrigerated sales cabinet 20 may be a sales cooling cabinet 20 that is configured to cool the merchandise display space to cooling temperatures above 0 ° C.
Alternatively, the refrigerated sales cabinet 20 may be a sales freezer cabinet 20, which is configured to cool the merchandise presentation space to freezing temperatures below 0 ° C, in particular to temperatures below 15 ° C. in order to store and present frozen goods to potential customers.
The left side panel 30 and the right side panel 31 are respectively installed on the left and right side of the cabinet body 22. The door frame 21, comprising a plurality of upright posts that are
ES 2 671 237 T3 extend verticals 32, a horizontal upper post 34 and a horizontal lower post 36, respectively connecting the upright posts 32 to each other, installed on a front side of the cabinet body 22.
A plurality of cabinet doors 38 are installed on the front side of door frame 21. Cabinet body 22, left side panel 30, right side panel 31, door frame 21, and cabinet doors 38 are installed. together to form a refrigerated merchandise storage and presentation space that is enclosed and accessible through doors 38.
Figure 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of a horizontal cross section through one of the upright posts 32 of the door frame 21.
According to one embodiment of the invention, each upright post 32 includes a rigid main body 4, which can be made of aluminum or other high-strength material, such as eg. ex. glass reinforced plastic, and comprising a basically C-shaped cross section, when viewed in cross section, comprising a rear part 4a and two side parts 4b.
The rear part 4a and the two side parts 4b are exposed to the refrigerated merchandise display space and are thus cooled to low temperatures when the refrigerated sales cabinet 20 is in operation.
The side parts 4b are arranged basically parallel to each other and perpendicular to the rear part 4a. Inside the main body 4 there is a support member 4c that extends basically parallel to the rear part 4a and that provides a first elongated hollow space 5 inside the main body 4, the elongated hollow space 5 is defined by the support member 4c , the rear part 4a and the two side parts 4b. Optionally, the first hollow space 5 can be filled with an insulating material, e.g. ex. a thermally insulating foam, in order to improve the thermally insulating properties of the upright post 32.
A front side of the support member 4c facing the doors 38, not shown in figure 2, is provided with two first clamping bracket members 8a, which are formed as hooks that extend basically opposite each other in a plane. extending basically parallel to the plane of the support member 4c. An insulating front element 9 is connected to the support member 4c by means of corresponding second bracket members 8b, which are provided on the rear side of a rear panel 10 of the insulating front member 9 and are coupled with the first bracket members. clamping bracket 8a provided on the support member 4c. The mutual coupling of the clamping bracket members 8a, 8b allows the insulating front element 9 to be conveniently and securely connected to the main body 4 of the upright post
32.
The first and second clamping bracket members 8a, 8b are arranged in a central part of the support member 4c, which is spaced from the two side parts 4b, in order to reduce the transfer of heat (thermal energy) from the front element. insulator 9 to the main body 4 by means of the clamping bracket members 8a, 8b.In particular, each of the bracket members 8a, 8b is spaced at least 15mm from the respective closest side portion 4b.
In order to reduce the heat transfer by means of the clamping bracket members 8a, 8b even further, the contact area 6 between the first and second clamping bracket members 8a, 8b is made as small as possible. In particular, the width of the contact area 6 measured parallel to the extension of the support member 4c is configured not to be greater than 10% of the width of said support member 4c and not exceed
ES 2 671 237 T3
8mm. In an alternative embodiment the extension of the support member 4c is configured not to be greater than 5% of the width of the support member 4c and not exceed 5 mm.
The clamping bracket members 8a, 8b respectively comprise at least one hook, the hooks of the first and second clamping bracket members 8a, 8b are hooked together in order to connect the insulating front element 9 to the main body 4. Al At least one of the hooks of the front insulating element 9 and / or the main body 4 is provided with an inclined surface oriented respectively away from the front insulating element 9 or the main body 4. Providing hooks with sloping surfaces facilitates movement of the hooks to their mutually engaging position.
The front insulating element 9 includes the rear panel 10 facing the support member 4c and comprising the corresponding second clamping bracket members 8b mentioned above. The rear panel 10 comprises a basically flat central part 10a and two side wall strips 10b which extend basically rectangularly from the plane of the central part 10a thereby forming a C-shape when viewed in cross section. The rear panel 10 extends basically parallel to the rear part 4a of the main body 4 spanning the distance between the two side parts 4b and providing two L-shaped hollow spaces 7a, 7b, which are defined respectively by the front insulating element 9 and the main body 4, in particular by the rear panel 10, one of the lateral lateral wall strips 10b, one of the lateral parts 4b and the support member 4c.
The front insulating element 9 further comprises a basically flat front panel 11, which is arranged facing the doors (not shown) opposite the rear panel 10 on the front side of the front insulating element 9. The front panel 11 is connected to the side wall strips 10b of the rear panel 10 by means of an additional snap connection provided by third and fourth clamping bracket members 8c, 8d when coupled together, which are respectively formed in the front end of the side wall strips 10b and the rear side of the front panel 11 facing the rear panel 10.
When installed on the main body 4, the front panel 11 of the front insulating element 9 does not contact the side parts 4b of the main body 4, but air gaps 7c, 7d are formed between the front panel 11 and the side parts 4b. , in order to reduce or even prevent heat from flowing from the front panel 11, which is exposed to ambient air, to the main body 4 facing the refrigerated sales space.
The hollow spaces 7a, 7b and the air gaps 7c, 7d provide additional thermal insulation between the front insulating element 9 and the main body 4 by reducing heat transfer from the front panel 11 of the front insulating element 9 to the main body 4 in order to reduce or even avoid condensation of ambient air on the front panel 11 of the front insulating element 9.
A thermally insulating coating 11a may be applied to the front panel 11 which improves the thermal insulating properties of the insulating front element 9. As such a thermally insulating coating 11a, which e.g. ex. You can apply nanotechnology that results in a very low thermal conductivity of, e.g. eg, less than 0.02 W / mK, provides a very efficient thermally insulating coating 11a, a thin coating, which does not add considerably to the thickness of the front panel 11 and which can, e.g. For example, to be applied by spraying, it may be sufficient to reliably prevent condensation of ambient air on the front side of the refrigeration vending cabinet 20. The thermally insulating coating 11a may be a transparent and mildew-preventing coating used for insulation. May be non-hazardous and water-based.
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An example of a suitable material based on nanotechnology is for example provided by Nansulate®, which is commercially available.
Optionally at least a part of the rear panel 10, in particular the rear side of the rear panel 10 facing the main body 4, can be covered with a thermally insulating coating, too, in order to reduce heat transfer through the front insulating element. 9 even more.
A thermally insulating layer 12 is provided on the front side of the rear panel 10 of the front insulating element 9 facing the front panel 11. Said thermally insulating layer 12 can be enclosed within the front insulating element 9 between the rear panel 10, the side strips of side wall 10b and front panel 11. Such an enclosure within the front insulating element 9 protects the thermally insulating layer 12 from being damaged, e.g. ex. by doors 38 or by awkward customers hitting upright post 32, and further allows easy installation of thermally insulating layer 12 on main body 4 of upright post 32.
Thermally insulating layer 12 may include thermally insulating foam, nanotechnology-based airgel, and / or vacuum panel to provide thermal insulation.
The front and rear panels 10, 11 of the insulating front element 9 can be made of any suitable plastic or metallic material, eg. ex. aluminum or PVC, or a combination thereof.
Second realization:
A perspective view of a front access type refrigerated vending cabinet 20a according to a second exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 3.
The refrigerated vending cabinet 20a according to the second embodiment shown in Figure 3 is similar to the first embodiment shown in Figure 1 comprising a cabinet body 22a, a left side panel 30a, a right side panel (not shown), and a door frame 21a that is configured to mount a plurality of doors, not shown in Figure 3. Similarly to the first embodiment the cabinet body 22a comprises a bottom piece 26a, a roof plate 24a, a rear wall (not shown) and a plurality of shelves (not shown) arranged therebetween.
Again, a complete refrigeration circuit, comprising a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device and an evaporator, can be installed in the cabinet body 22a in order to provide a self-contained refrigerated cabinet that only needs to be connected to a supply. of electrical power to function.
Alternatively, within the cabinet body 22a only one or more evaporators can be installed, the evaporators are configured to be connected for transmission of fluids to an external cooling circuit provided in the building in which the sales cabinet is to be installed. cooled.
The refrigerated sales cabinet 20a may be a sales cooling cabinet 20a that is configured to cool the merchandise display space to cooling temperatures above 0 ° C.
Alternatively or additionally, the refrigerated sales cabinet 20a may be a sales freezer cabinet 20a, which is configured to cool the merchandise presentation space to freezing temperatures below 0 ° C, in particular to temperatures below 15 ° C in order to store and present frozen goods to potential customers.
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The left side panel 30a and the right side panel (not shown) are respectively installed on the left and right side of the cabinet body 22a. The door frame 21a, comprising a plurality of vertical extending upright posts 32a, a horizontal upper post 34a, and a horizontal lower post 36a, respectively connecting the upright posts 32a to each other, is installed on a front side of the body of closet
22a.
A plurality of cabinet doors, not shown in Figure 3, can be installed on the front side of the door frame 21a. The cabinet body 22a, the left side panel 30a, the right side panel 31, the door frame 21a and the cabinet doors are installed together to form a refrigerated storage of goods and the display space is closed and accessible through of the doors.
A cavity extending along the length of the respective post 32a, 34a, 36a is formed in at least some of the posts 32a, 34a, 36a that form the door frame 21a in order to allow air to flow through the respective post 32a, 34a, 36a. On top of the door frame 21a two fans 18 are arranged above the upper ends of two central upright posts 32a. The fans 18 are configured to blow comparatively warm air, which accumulates in an upper part of the room over the upper part of the cabinet body 22a, through the cavities provided within the posts 32a, 34a, 36a heating the posts 32a. , 34a, 36a in order to prevent the temperature of posts 32a, 34a, 36a from falling below the dew point and humid ambient air from condensing on the front side of posts 32a, 34a, 36a when the refrigeration circuit of the refrigerated sales cabinet 20a is operating cooling the refrigerated sales space and the main body 4 of the posts 32a, 34a, 36a facing the refrigerated sales space.
One skilled in the art will readily understand that the two fans 18 shown in Figure 3 are exemplary only and any number of fans 18 can be used, as deemed appropriate. In an alternative embodiment, not shown in the figures, the fans 18 may be arranged at the bottom of the door frame 21a and configured to draw air from the upper part of the cabinet body 22a through the cavities provided within posts 32a, 34a, 36a.
Figure 4 shows an enlarged view of the lower left corner of the door frame 21a comprising the lower horizontal post 36a and two upright posts 32a. Two air outlets 16a are formed on the front side of the lower horizontal post 36a which allow the air blown to the door frame 21a by means of the fans 18 to exit the door frame 21a. One skilled in the art will readily understand that additional air vents 16a may be formed at the post 36a or a lower portion of the upright posts 32a if necessary.
When the refrigeration circuit that cools the refrigerated sales space is operating, the parts of the door frame 21a exposed to the display space of cooled goods are cooled, and consequently the air flowing through the posts 32a is also cooled , 34a, 36a of the door frame 21a. Consequently, the moisture comprised in the warm air entering the door frame 21a can condense on its way through the door frame 21a. The condensation water, which is formed, can stick to the inner walls of the posts 32a, 34a, 36a or exit through the door frame 21a via the air outlets 16a together with the air, resulting in a puddle of water formed in front of the door frame 21a, which is inconvenient and can be dangerous for potential customers standing in front of the cabinet body 22a or walking nearby. Thus, within or below the horizontal lower post 36a an air-liquid separator 14 is formed in order to separate the condensation water from the air before exiting through the door frame 21a.
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A schematic cross-sectional view of such an air-liquid separator 14 is shown in Figure 5. The air-liquid separator 14 comprises a cavity 13 formed by the horizontal lower post 36a, within or below it, which it has an air-liquid inlet 15 at its top, an air outlet 16c at its top, and a liquid outlet 16b at the bottom. The air-liquid mixture, which has passed the door frame 21a and comprises condensation water 17, enters the cavity 13 through the air-liquid inlet 15. The condensation water 17 comprised in said air-mixture- liquid will accumulate at the bottom of cavity 13, while the gaseous part of the air-liquid mixture will exit through the upper air outlet 16c. The condensation water 17 collected at the bottom of the cavity 13 can exit through the cavity 13 by means of the liquid outlet 16b formed in a lower part of the air-liquid separator 14, which is connected to a drain 19 to dispense the condensation water 17.
In an embodiment of a refrigerated sales cabinet according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention the insulating front element is connected to the support member of the main body by means of a snap connection comprising a first clamping bracket formed in the support member which mates with a corresponding second clamping bracket formed on the rear side of the rear panel. A snap connection comprising a first clamping bracket formed on the support member that mates with a corresponding second clamping bracket formed on the rear side of the rear panel provides a convenient way to connect the front insulating element to the support member. with a small contact area, thereby reducing heat transfer from the front insulating element to the support member.
In one embodiment the clamping brackets respectively comprise at least one hook, wherein the hooks of the first and second clamping brackets engage each other in order to connect the front insulating element to the main body. In one embodiment the at least one hook of the front member is provided with an inclined surface oriented away from the front member and the at least one hook of the main body is provided with an inclined surface oriented away from the main body. Hooks comprising such inclined surfaces allow easy engagement of the hooks / clamping brackets.
In one embodiment the clamping brackets are formed as extruded elements that extend along the length of the post. Extrusion provides an inexpensive and convenient method of forming clamping brackets.
In one embodiment the snap connection is symmetrical with respect to a plane of symmetry extending along the length of the post that is oriented perpendicular to the plane of the forward insulating member. A symmetrical elastic jump connection is easy to produce and provides good thermal insulation, since the distance to the cold parts of the main body can be maximized.
In one embodiment the front panel does not contact the main body and there is no contact between the rear panel and the main body other than the contact provided by the at least one connecting element. In one embodiment there is a clearance of at least 3mm between the front insulating element and the main body. Such a clearance minimizes heat flow from the insulating element to the main body.
In one embodiment, the front insulating element comprises, from back to front, a rear panel, a front panel that forms the front surface of the post, and a thermally insulating layer, which is arranged between the rear panel and the front panel and comprises a nanoporous airgel. thermally insulating, foam and / or a vacuum panel. Providing a thermally insulating layer within the insulating front element improves the thermal insulating properties of the insulating front element and helps to reduce the risk of condensation on its front side.
ES 2 671 237 T3
In one embodiment said thermally insulating layer is sandwiched between said rear panel and said front panel, and / or said rear panel and said front panel together with two respective side wall strips completely enclose said thermally insulating layer. Such an enclosure within the insulating front element protects the thermally insulating layer from being damaged, e.g. ex. by awkward gates or clients hitting the upright post, and further allows easy installation of the thermally insulating layer on the main body of the upright post.
In one embodiment the rear panel and / or the front panel comprise a plastic material, particularly PVC. Plastic and in particular PVC is a cheap material, which is very suitable for forming the rear panel and / or the front panel of the insulating front element.
In one embodiment the rear panel and the front panel are connected to each other by means of a second snap connection. A snap connection provides a convenient measure to connect the rear panel to the front panel.
In one embodiment, at least a front surface of the front panel and / or a portion of the rear panel is covered with a thermally insulating coating, in particular a coating that employs nanotechnology to provide thermal insulation against the main body of the post. Covering the front panel and / or the rear panel at least partially with a thermally insulating coating improves the thermal insulating properties of the panels and thereby helps to reduce the risk of condensation on the front panel.
In one embodiment an electric heater is provided in the insulating front element in order to prevent condensation on the front element. Since the front element is thermally insulated, less energy is required to heat in order to reliably prevent condensation on the front element. The particular electric heater can be arranged adjacent or in contact with the front panel in order to provide efficient heat transfer from the electric heater to the front element.
In one embodiment the at least one fan provided in the refrigerated vending cabinet is configured to convey air from the top of the refrigerated vending cabinet to a lower portion of the refrigerated vending cabinet. Due to the laws of thermodynamics, warm air, which is particularly suitable for heating the main body, collects in the upper part of the refrigerated sales cabinet. Thus, directing air from the top of the refrigerated sales cabinet through the cavities formed within the door frame is specifically efficient to heat the door frame in order to avoid or at least reduce ambient air condensation at its front. .
In one embodiment the at least one fan is located at the top of the cabinet body and is configured to force air through the door frame. Alternatively, the fan can be provided in a lower part of the door frame in order to draw air from the top to the bottom of the door frame.
In one embodiment an air-liquid separator is provided in order to separate condensation water from the air-liquid mixture before it exits the air passage. Said separation prevents air comprising condensed water from being dispensed from the air duct, which forms a pool of water, which would be annoying for customers standing in front of the refrigerated sales cabinet or walking close to it.
In one embodiment a liquid outlet of the air-liquid separator is connected for fluid transmission to a water drain of the refrigerated sales cabinet in order to efficiently dispense the condensation water separated by the air-liquid separator.
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In one embodiment the refrigerated sales cabinet is configured to cool the refrigerated sales space to freezing temperatures below 0 ° C, in particular to temperatures below 15 ° C in order to store and present frozen merchandise to potential customers.
While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes can be made and equivalents can be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. Additionally, modifications can be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment described, but that the invention includes all embodiments that are within the scope of the appended claims.
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List of reference numerals
<td> 4</td><td>main body of a pole</td>
<td>4th</td><td>back of a pole</td>
<td>4b</td><td>side parts of a pole</td>
<td>4c</td><td>support member of a pole</td>
<td> 5</td><td>first hollow space</td>
<td> 6</td><td>Contact area</td>
<td>7a, 7b</td><td>second hollow spaces</td>
<td>7c, 7d</td><td>air clearances</td>
<td>8a, 8b</td><td>first and second clamping bracket members</td>
<td>8c, 8d</td><td>third and fourth clamping bracket members</td>
<td> 9</td><td>insulating front element</td>
<td> 10</td><td>rear panel</td>
<td>10a</td><td>central part</td>
<td>10b</td><td>side wall strips</td>
<td> 11</td><td>front panel</td>
<td>11a</td><td>thermally insulating coating</td>
<td> 12</td><td>thermally insulating layer</td>
<td> 13</td><td>cavity</td>
<td> 14</td><td>air-liquid separator</td>
<td> 15</td><td>air-liquid inlet</td>
<td>16a, 16c</td><td>Air vents</td>
<td>16b</td><td>liquid outlet</td>
<td> 17</td><td>condensation water</td>
<td> 18</td><td>fan</td>
<td> 19</td><td>sewer system</td>
<td>20, 20a</td><td>refrigerated sales cabinet</td>
<td>21, 21a</td><td>door frame</td>
ES 2 671 237 T3
<td>22, 22a</td><td>wardrobe body</td>
<td>24, 24a</td><td>roof plate</td>
<td>26, 26a</td><td>bottom piece</td>
<td> 27</td><td>rear wall</td>
<td> 5 28</td><td>shelves</td>
<td>30, 30a</td><td>left side panel</td>
<td> 31</td><td>right side panel</td>
<td>32, 32a</td><td>upright post</td>
<td>34, 34a</td><td>top post</td>
<td>10 36, 36a</td><td>bottom post</td>
<td> 38</td><td>door</td>
Contents11
4 sheets
Sheet 1 Sheet 2 Sheet 3 Sheet 4
17 members in 8 offices
Priority claims1
| Document | Office | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012068776 | European Patent Office (EPO) | W |
Members17
| Document | Office | Kind | |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2014044330A1 | World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) | A1 | |
| IN1693DEN2015A | India | A | |
| CN104768428A | China | A | |
| EP2897501A1 | European Patent Office (EPO) | A1 | |
| US2015250332A1 | United States of America | A1 | |
| EP2944230A1 | European Patent Office (EPO) | A1 | |
| US2017280895A1 | United States of America | A1 | |
| EP2897501B1 | European Patent Office (EPO) | B1 | |
| US9980581B2 | United States of America | B2 | |
| ES2671237T3This record | Spain | T3 | |
| NO2897501T3 | Norway | T3 | |
| PL2897501T3 | Poland | T3 | |
| CN104768428B | China | B | |
| US10285512B2 | United States of America | B2 | |
| EP2944230B1 | European Patent Office (EPO) | B1 | |
| ES2940287T3 | Spain | T3 | |
| PL2944230T3 | Poland | T3 |
Numbers
- Publication
- 2671237
- Application
- 12766952
Titles2
- Spanish
- Armario de venta refrigerado
- English
- Refrigerated sales cabinet
Classification
- CPC, 9
- A47F3/0408
- A47F3/0404
- A47F3/0426
- A47B87/002
- Y10T29/49359
- A47F3/043
- A47F3/0434
- E05D7/00
- E06B7/14
- IPC, 4
- A47B87 00
- A47F3 04
- E05D7 00
- E06B7 14