Refrigerated merchandiser

Title: Refrigerated merchandiser

Related Patent Categories: Refrigeration, Display Type, With Air Controlling Or Directing Means

Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Claims

The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060207279, Refrigerated merchandiser.

1. A refrigerated merchandiser having an interior space wherein a product may be displayed in an environment refrigerated by refrigerated air supplied to the interior space, comprising: a cabinet having a top wall, a lower wall having an air return outlet passing therethrough, a rear wall, and side walls bounding the interior space; and a rear panel disposed in the interior space in spaced relationship from and generally parallel to the rear wall of said cabinet and defining a generally vertically extending air supply duct therebetween, said air supply duct having an inlet for receiving the refrigerated air and an outlet at its upper end for passing a first portion of the refrigerated air from said air supply duct into an upper region of the interior space; at least one flow baffle disposed in an upper region of the interior space for redirecting air flow in the first portion of refrigerated air 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.

2. A refrigerated merchandiser as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one flow baffle comprises a flow baffle extending inwardly into the interior space from the top wall.

3. A refrigerated merchandiser as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one flow baffle comprises a pair of spaced flow baffles, each flow baffle extending from the top wall inwardly into the interior space.

4. a refrigerated merchandiser as recited in claim 1, wherein said air supply duct has a first flow area upstream of the outlet thereto and a second flow area at the outlet thereto, the second flow area being less than the first flow area.

5. A refrigerated merchandiser as recited in claim 4 further comprising a flow restriction disposed at the outlet of said air supply duct, said flow restriction restricting the second flow area to a flow area less than the first flow area.

6. A refrigerated merchandiser as recited in claim 4 further comprising a flow baffle disposed at the outlet of said air supply duct, said flow baffle restricting the second flow area to a flow area less than the first flow area.

7. A refrigerated merchandiser as recited in claim 6 wherein said flow baffle comprises an extension of said rear panel extending obliquely at an upper end of said rear panel toward said rear wall of the cabinet.

8. A refrigerated merchandiser as recited in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of openings in said rear panel for passing a second portion of refrigerated air into the interior space from an upstream portion of said air supply duct.

9. A refrigerated merchandiser as recited in claim 1 further comprising a refrigeration unit disposed in operative association with and exteriorly of the interior space, said refrigeration unit including 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.

10. A refrigerated merchandiser as recited in claim 9 wherein said refrigeration unit is disposed in an equipment compartment beneath the lower wall and the air return outlet in the lower wall is in air flow communication with the evaporator fan.

11. A refrigerated merchandiser as recited in claim 1 further comprising a refrigeration unit cassette having a first compartment housing an evaporator and an evaporator fan assembly in operative association and a second compartment housing a condenser, a condenser fan assembly in operative association with the condenser, and a compressor, the evaporator, compressor and condenser coupled in refrigerant flow communication in a closed loop refrigeration circuit, the first compartment having 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 said air supply duct.

12. A refrigerated merchandiser as recited in claim 11 wherein said cassette refrigeration unit being selectively positionable into and out of the equipment compartment.

13. A refrigerated merchandiser as recited in claim 1 further comprising a top panel disposed in the interior space in spaced relationship from and generally parallel to the top wall of said cabinet and defining a generally horizontally extending air distribution duct therebetween, said top panel having a first plurality of openings therethrough in a rearward portion thereof and having a second plurality of openings therethrough in a forward portion thereof, said generally horizontally extending air distribution duct having an inlet opening in flow communication with the outlet of said air supply duct.

14. A refrigerated merchandiser as recited in claim 13 wherein said at least one flow baffle comprises a flow baffle disposed in said air distribution duct intermediate said first plurality of openings in said generally horizontal panel and said second plurality of openings in said generally horizontal panel.

15. A refrigerated merchandiser as recited in claim 13 wherein said rear panel has a lower portion having a first plurality of openings therethrough, an upper portion without openings therethrough, and an intermediate portion between the upper and lower portions having a second plurality of openings therethrough for passing refrigerated air from said air supply duct into the interior space.

16. A refrigerated merchandiser as recited in claim 15 wherein said first plurality of openings in the lower portion of said rear panel define a first flow area and said second plurality of openings in the intermediate portion of said rear panel define a second flow area, the first flow area being larger than the second flow area.

17. A refrigerated merchandiser having an interior space housing a product in a refrigerated environment intended for selection by consumers, comprising: a cabinet having a top wall, a lower wall, a rear wall, and side walls defining the interior space, said lower wall having an air return opening therethrough; a generally vertical panel disposed in the interior space spaced from and generally parallel to the rear wall of said cabinet and defining a refrigerated air supply duct therebetween; a generally horizontal panel disposed in the interior space in spaced relationship from and generally parallel to the top wall of said cabinet and defining a first air duct therebetween, said generally horizontal panel having a rearward portion and a forward portion, said first and second air ducts being in flow communication thereby establishing a refrigerated air distribution duct; a first plurality of openings disposed in and through the rearward portion of said generally horizontal panel for passing refrigerated air from said air distribution duct into the interior product display space in a generally downwardly and forwardly direction; a second plurality of openings disposed in and through the forward portion of said generally horizontal panel for passing refrigerated air from said air distribution duct into the interior product display space in a generally downwardly and rearwardly direction; and a refrigeration unit disposed beneath the lower wall in operative association with the interior space, said refrigeration unit including 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.

18. A refrigerated merchandiser as recited in claim 17 further comprising: a flow baffle disposed said air distribution duct intermediate the first plurality of openings and the second plurality of openings, said flow baffle operative to cause refrigerated air flowing past the flow baffle to reverse flow direction to pass through the second plurality of openings in said generally horizontal panel.

19. A refrigerated merchandiser as recited in claim 17 wherein said generally vertical panel has a lower portion having a third plurality of openings disposed in and therethrough for passing refrigerated air from said air supply duct into the interior product display space.

20. A refrigerated merchandiser as recited in claim 17 wherein said generally vertical panel has a lower portion having a third plurality of openings disposed in and therethrough for passing refrigerated from said air supply duct from into the interior space, an upper portion without openings therethrough, and an intermediate portion between the upper and lower portions having a fourth plurality of openings therethrough for passing refrigerated air from said air supply duct into the interior space.

21. A refrigerated merchandiser as recited in claim 20 wherein said third plurality of openings in the lower portion of said generally vertical panel define a flow a first flow area and said fourth plurality of openings in the intermediate portion of said generally vertical panel define a second flow area, the first flow area being larger than the second flow area.

22. In a refrigerated merchandiser having a cabinet having an interior space having a product displayed therein and refrigerated by supplying refrigerated air to the interior space, a method for refrigerating the product comprising 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 downwardly through the product displayed in the interior space; and withdrawing air from a lower region of the interior space; whereby the refrigerated air supplied to the upper region of the interior space flows in a generally vertically downward path through the product displayed in the interior space.

23. A method as recited in claim 22 wherein the step of directing the refrigerated air supplied to the upper region of the interior space generally downwardly through the product displayed in the interior space comprises the steps of: directing a first portion of the refrigerated air supplied to the upper region of the interior region in a generally downwardly and forwardly direction; and directing a second portion of the refrigerated air supplied to the upper region on the interior region in a generally downwardly and rearwardly direction.

24. A refrigerated merchandiser having an interior space wherein a product may be displayed in an environment refrigerated by refrigerated air supplied to the interior space, comprising: a cabinet having a top wall, a lower wall having an air return outlet passing therethrough, a rear wall, and side walls bounding the interior space; and a rear panel disposed in the interior space in spaced relationship from and generally parallel to the rear wall of said cabinet and defining a generally vertically extending air supply duct therebetween, said air supply duct having an inlet for receiving the refrigerated air and an outlet at its upper end for passing a first portion of the refrigerated air from said air supply duct into an upper region of the interior space; said air supply duct having a first flow area upstream of the outlet thereto and a second flow area at the outlet thereto, the second flow area being less than the first flow area.

25. A refrigerated merchandiser as recited in claim 24 further comprising a flow restriction disposed at the outlet of said air supply duct, said flow restriction restricting the second flow area to a flow area less than the first flow area.

26. A refrigerated merchandiser as recited in claim 24 further comprising a flow baffle disposed at the outlet of said air supply duct, said flow baffle restricting the second flow area to a flow area less than the first flow area.

27. A refrigerated merchandiser as recited in claim 26 wherein said flow baffle comprises an extension of said rear panel extending obliquely at an upper end of said rear panel toward said rear wall of the cabinet.

28. A refrigerated merchandiser as recited in claim 24 wherein flow baffles extends obliquely rearwardly at an angle in the range of from about 30 to about 60 degrees.

29. A refrigerated merchandiser as recited in claim 24 wherein the second flow area is about 1/4 to 3/4 the area of the first flow area.

Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Claims

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Bottom deck assembly for refrigerated merchandiser
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Showcase
Industry Class:
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