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Refrigerated merchandiserRelated Patent Categories: Refrigeration, Display Type, With Air Controlling Or Directing MeansRefrigerated merchandiser description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060207279, Refrigerated merchandiser. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/663,472, filed Mar. 18, 2005, and entitled COLD AIR DISTRIBUTION DUCT FOR BOTTLE COOLER, which application is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. [0002] This application is related to the following applications subject to assignment to the common assignee of this application and filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on the same date as this application: [0003] U.S. patent application Ser. No. (Attorney Docket No. 210.sub.--816NP), entitled "SEALING SYSTEM FOR REFRIGERATION CASSETTE"; [0004] U.S. patent application Ser. No. (Attorney Docket No. 210.sub.--820NP), entitled "MODULAR REFRIGERATION CASSETTE"; [0005] U.S. patent application Ser. No. (Attorney Docket No. 210.sub.--879NP), entitled "MODULAR REFRIGERATION CASSETTE WITH CONDENSATE EVAPORATIVE TRAY"; [0006] U.S. patent application Ser. No. (Attorney Docket No. 210.sub.--818NP), entitled "BOTTOM DECK ASSEMBLY FOR REFRIGERATED MERCHANDISER"; and [0007] U.S. patent application Ser. No. (Attorney Docket No. 210.sub.--819NP), entitled "EVAPORATOR FAN/MOTOR ASSEMBLY MOUNTING BRACKET". Each of the afore-listed patent applications is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0008] The present invention relates to display cabinets in general and, more particularly, to refrigerated cabinets equipped with modular cassette refrigeration units. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0009] Refrigerated cabinets have a refrigeration system associated therewith for providing the cooled environment within the interior of the refrigerated cabinet. The refrigeration systems of such refrigerated cabinets commonly employ a conventional refrigeration cycle and include an evaporator and an evaporator fan operatively associated with the interior of the refrigerated cabinet, as well as a condenser, a condenser fan, and compressor. In stand alone cabinets, the compressor, condenser and condenser fan are housed in an equipment compartment separate from and insulated from the cooled interior of the refrigerated cabinet. A refrigerant is circulated by a compressor through refrigerant lines connecting the compressor, the condenser and the evaporator in a conventional manner to form a closed circuit. Air within the insulated interior of the refrigerated cabinet is circulated by the evaporator fan through the evaporator in heat exchange relationship with the refrigerant so as to cool the air. The evaporator and evaporator fan may be disposed within the cooled interior of the refrigerated cabinet, for example in the upper region thereof. [0010] However, the evaporator and evaporator fan may also be housed in the equipment compartment in a section of the equipment compartment insulated from the compressor, condenser and condenser fan. Among other uses, refrigerated cabinets of this type may be used as refrigerator or freezer display case merchandisers, vending machines, and cold beverage merchandisers in supermarkets, grocery stores, gas stations, convenience stores, and other retail establishments. For example, cold beverages, such as soft drinks, beer, wine coolers, etc. are commonly displayed in refrigerated merchandisers for self-service purchase by customers. Conventional beverage merchandisers of this type include an insulated cabinet defining a refrigerated product display zone having one or more glass doors that provide access to the refrigerated interior. The beverage product, typically in cans or bottles, single or in multi-packs, is stored on shelves within the refrigerated display zone of the cabinet. To purchase a beverage, the customer opens one of the doors and reaches into the refrigerated cabinet to retrieve the desired product from the shelf. [0011] Refrigerated merchandisers equipped with modular cassette refrigeration units disposed atop the refrigerated cabinet are disclosed, for example, by Bauman et al. in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,953,929 and 6,070,424, and by Morse in U.S. Pat. No. 6,701,739. Refrigerated merchandisers equipped with modular cassette refrigeration units disposed beneath the refrigerated cabinet are disclosed, for example, by Rudick et al. in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,347,827; 5,402,654; 5,417,079; and 5,417,081 and by Maynard et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,421. [0012] In refrigerated merchandisers equipped with modular cassette refrigeration units disposed beneath the refrigerated cabinet, the refrigerated air from the refrigeration unit follows a generally circular circulation pattern within the product display zone of the cabinet. The refrigerated air typically flows from the refrigeration unit up along the back wall of the cabinet, to the top wall of the cabinet, thence along the top wall of the cabinet, and thence down the front of the cabinet to the floor of the product display zone and through an air return inlet to the refrigeration unit. However, with a generally circular circulation pattern, a uniformly even product temperature distribution may not be achieved as product disposed centrally within the product display zone or on the side and rear portions of the lower shelves may not be sufficiently contacted by the circulating refrigeration air. Additionally, as the refrigerated air passing along the top wall of the cabinet has a high horizontal velocity component, a significant amount of cold refrigerated air impinges on the inner surface of the door of the merchandiser and travels down the front of the door. This cold air passing down the front of the door may cause excessive condensation on the colder door surfaces. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0013] It is an object of one aspect of the invention to provide a refrigerated merchandiser having a refrigerated air flow passing generally vertically downward through the product displayed therein. [0014] It is an object of another aspect of the invention to provide a method for circulating refrigerated air in a refrigerated merchandiser providing a generally vertically downwardly directed flow through at least a central portion of product displayed therein. [0015] It is an object of one aspect of the invention to provide an improved distribution of refrigerated air to the product display space of a refrigerated merchandiser to reduce product cool down time and to reduce variation in product temperature within the product display space. [0016] It is an object of one aspect of the invention to provide an improved distribution of refrigerated air to the product display space of a refrigerated merchandiser to reduce the flow of cold refrigerated air down the front glass door of the refrigerated merchandiser. [0017] In one aspect of the invention, a refrigerated merchandiser is provided having a cabinet having an interior space wherein a product may be displayed in an environment refrigerated by refrigerated air supplied to the interior space. The cabinet has a top wall, a lower wall having an air return outlet passing therethrough, a rear wall, and side walls bounding the interior space. A rear panel is disposed in the interior space in spaced relationship from and generally parallel to the rear wall of said cabinet, thereby defining a generally vertically extending air supply duct therebetween. The air supply duct has an inlet for receiving the refrigerated air and an outlet at its upper end for passing the refrigerated air from the air supply duct into an upper region of the interior space along the top wall of cabinet. One or more flow baffles may be disposed in the upper region of the interior space for redirecting the air flow passing along the top wall of cabinet downwardly into the interior space to pass through the product displayed therein and out the air return outlet in the lower wall. [0018] In one embodiment, the flow area at the outlet of the supply duct is less than the flow area of the supply duct upstream of the outlet. The flow area may be reduced by a flow restriction, such as for example, a flow baffle disposed at the outlet of the air supply duct so as to restrict the outlet flow area to a flow area less than the flow area in the upstream portion of the supply duct. The flow baffle may be an extension of the rear panel extending obliquely at an upper end of said rear panel toward the rear wall of the cabinet. [0019] In another aspect of the invention, a top panel is disposed in the interior space in spaced relationship from and generally parallel to the top wall of the cabinet, thereby defining a generally horizontally extending air distribution duct therebetween. The top panel has a first plurality of openings therethrough in a rearward portion of the panel and has a second plurality of openings therethrough in a forward portion of the panel. The air distribution duct has an inlet opening in flow communication with the outlet of the air supply duct. In this embodiment, a flow baffle is provided in the air distribution duct intermediate the first plurality of openings in the top panel and the second plurality of openings in the top panel. The flow baffle causes air in the air distribution duct flowing past the baffle to reverse flow direction, whereby a portion of the refrigerated air flowing into the interior space from the air distribution duct enters the interior space through the first plurality of openings in a generally downwardly and forwardly direction. Therefore, a portion of the refrigerated air flowing into the interior space from the air distribution duct enters the interior space through the first plurality of openings in a generally downwardly and rearwardly direction. [0020] In a further aspect of the invention, the rear panel may have a plurality of openings therethrough for passing a portion of the refrigerated air from the air supply duct into the lower and/or central regions of interior space. In an embodiment, a plurality of relatively larger openings are provided in a portion of the rear panel bounding a lower region of the interior space, no openings are provided in a portion of the rear panel bounding an upper region of the interior space, and a plurality of relatively smaller openings are provided in a portion of the rear panel bounding an central portion of the interior space. [0021] A refrigeration unit may be provided in operative association with and exteriorly of the interior space. The refrigeration unit includes an evaporator and an evaporator fan disposed in operative association with the evaporator. The evaporator fan operative to draw air from the interior space through the air return opening in the lower wall to the evaporator of said refrigeration unit and pass refrigerated air from refrigeration unit into said air supply duct. The unit may be disposed in an equipment compartment beneath the lower wall with the air return outlet in the lower wall being in air flow communication with the evaporator fan. The refrigeration unit may include a refrigeration unit cassette having a first compartment housing the evaporator and evaporator fan assembly and a second compartment housing a condenser, a condenser fan assembly in operative association with the condenser, and a compressor, with the evaporator, compressor and condenser coupled in refrigerant flow communication in a closed loop refrigeration circuit. The first compartment of the refrigeration unit cassette has an air inlet in air flow communication with the air return outlet in the lower wall and an air outlet in air flow communication with the air inlet to the air supply duct. The cassette refrigeration unit may be selectively positionable into and out of the equipment compartment. [0022] In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for refrigerating product displayed within an interior space of refrigerated merchandiser refrigerated by supplying refrigerated air to the interior space. The method includes the steps of: supplying refrigerated air to an upper region of the interior space, directing the refrigerated air supplied to the upper region of the interior space generally vertically downwardly through the product displayed in the interior space, and withdrawing air from a lower region of the interior space. Directing the refrigerated air supplied to the upper region of the interior space generally vertically downwardly through the product displayed in the interior space may include directing a first portion of the refrigerated air supplied to the upper region of the interior space in a generally downwardly and forwardly direction, and directing a second portion of the refrigerated air supplied to the upper region of the interior space in a generally downwardly and rearwardly direction in opposition to the first portion of air. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0023] For a further understanding of these and objects of the invention, reference will be made to the following detailed description of the invention which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawing, where: [0024] FIG. 1 is a sectioned side elevation view of one embodiment of a refrigerated merchandiser in accord with the invention; Continue reading about Refrigerated merchandiser... Full patent description for Refrigerated merchandiser Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Refrigerated merchandiser patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Refrigerated merchandiser or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Bottom deck assembly for refrigerated merchandiser Next Patent Application: Showcase Industry Class: Refrigeration ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Refrigerated merchandiser patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.24561 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Computers: Graphics , I/O , Processors , Dyn. Storage , Static Storage , Printers 174 |
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