DE20019914U1 - Refrigerated counter with a separate refrigeration circuit - Google Patents

Abstract

A furniture unit for the presentation of wares, especially a cold counter (1), has at least one evaporator (4) and/or heat exchanger in which a cooled air stream is generated. At least one additional separate closed coolant (mixture) circuit (7) is provided that allows a contact cooling of the wares' display floor (6) and/or the wares' chamber. This has at least one heat exchanger (5). The heat exchanger(s) is/are located so that the cooled air stream generated in the evaporator(s) and/or heat exchanger(s) is led at least partially through the heat exchanger(s). The additional separate closed coolant(mixture) circuit(s) are designed to be removable from the furniture unit.

Description

P00227gm-DE/KCB = EM-KCB0002
24.11,2000 - Christoph Zahn/tö

Description Refrigerated counter with an additional separate refrigeration circuit

The invention relates to a product display cabinet, in particular a refrigerated counter, with at least one evaporator and/or heat exchanger in which a cooled air flow is generated

The term "product presentation furniture" refers to furniture of any kind that serves to present and/or store goods, in particular (freezer or refrigerated) shelves or cabinets, (freezer or refrigerated) chests, (freezer or refrigerated) islands, (refrigerated) counters, etc.

The problem with typical product display furniture, especially refrigerated counters, is that the goods offered in this furniture - especially meat, sausage or fish products - should make as fresh an impression as possible to the customer over a longer period of time in order to positively influence their purchasing behavior. In order to achieve this, a certain relative humidity must be maintained in the furniture or its product area.

The cooling of the product room(s) or product displays of this type of product presentation furniture is usually achieved by generating a cooled air flow in the furniture and circulating this cool air flow in the furniture in such a way that it passes over the goods on offer in the furniture and cools them in the process. However, with this type of cooling, the problem arises that the humidity in the cool air flow is comparatively low, as it is dehumidified as it passes through the evaporator or heat exchanger. The moisture condenses on the evaporator or heat exchanger in the form of snow and ice. This dehumidification of the cool air means that the goods on offer are also dehumidified, which impairs their visual presentation.

In principle, such product display furniture, which has at least one evaporator, or whose evaporators can be operated in two different ways - namely continuously or cyclically.

P00227gm-DE/KCB = EM-KCB0002
24.11.2000 - Christoph Zahn/tö

If the evaporator is operated continuously, the (cooling) air flow circulating in the furniture is dehumidified to a relatively high degree, with the degree of dehumidification being greater the lower the temperature at the evaporator. Due to the aforementioned fact, ice or snow forms on the evaporator or the evaporator fins. The advantage of this procedure is that the relative humidity remains essentially constant over time, but only reaches a comparatively low value. If, on the other hand, the evaporator is operated cyclically, the relative humidity varies relatively strongly, since the cooling air is only dehumidified when the evaporator is switched on. With this procedure, the relative humidity values in the outlet area of the supply air duct usually fluctuate between 60 and 85%.

The object of the present invention is to provide a generic product presentation furniture in which an increase in the average relative humidity in the furniture or its product compartment and/or product display shelves can be realized.

To solve this problem, a product display cabinet is proposed which is characterized in that at least one additional separate, closed coolant (mixture) circuit is provided, which enables contact cooling of the product display shelf(s) and/or the product room(s), and this has at least one heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger(s) are arranged such that the cooled air flow generated in the evaporator(s) and/or heat exchanger(s) is at least partially guided through the heat exchanger(s).

According to the invention, at least one additional separate, closed coolant (mixture) circuit is now provided, with which contact cooling of the product display shelves and/or product rooms is realized. This additional coolant (mixture) circuit now has at least one heat exchanger, which is arranged in such a way that the cooling air flow generated in the evaporator or the heat exchanger of the product display cabinet is at least partially guided through this heat exchanger of the separate coolant (mixture) circuit. This ensures that the coolant circulating in the separate coolant (mixture) circuit

P00227gm-DE/KCB = EM-KCB0002
24.11.2000- Christoph Zahn/tö

cooled by a refrigerant or refrigerant mixture. The term "refrigerant" is also always understood to mean a refrigerant mixture.

A mixture of water and glycol is preferably used as the coolant. The circulation of the coolant in this coolant (mixture) circuit is achieved by the temperature difference prevailing in it, so that neither pumps nor compressors are required. Due to the contact cooling, the goods on display are sufficiently cooled without dehumidifying them, as is the case with a circulating flow of cooling air. The goods on offer can therefore be presented in a visually appealing condition over a longer period of time, which results in an increase in sales.

In further developing the goods presentation furniture according to the invention, it is proposed that the additional separate, closed coolant (mixture) circuit is designed to be removable from the goods presentation furniture.

This design of the product presentation furniture according to the invention enables easy cleaning and, if necessary, maintenance of the additional refrigerant (mixture) circuit.

In further developing the product display furniture according to the invention, it is further proposed that means are provided for supplying the cooled air flow generated to the product display floor(s) and/or the product room(s), preferably to the areas of the product display floor(s) and/or the product room(s) that are cooled less by the contact cooling.

This design of the product display furniture according to the invention represents a compromise between the previously described prior art and the present invention. After the refrigerant circulating in the additional refrigerant (mixture) circuit cools down on its way through the refrigerant (mixture) circuit, there are inevitably areas on the product display floor or in the product area that are cooled less and possibly not sufficiently. In order to be able to achieve the required cooling of the goods on offer in these areas as well, it may therefore be necessary to supply these areas with cooling air.

P00227gm-DE/KCB = EM-KCBÖ002
24.11.2000 - Christoph Zahn/tö

Preferably, the product display shelf(s) and/or the product space(s) are designed to be removable from the product display furniture. Depending on the goods on offer, product display shelves or product spaces of different designs can be used in a product display furniture.

The product presentation furniture according to the invention and further embodiments thereof - which are the subject matter of the dependent claims - are explained in more detail with reference to the embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figures 1 and 2 show perspective and schematic representations of a refrigerated counter, whereby the front window is omitted for the sake of clarity.

The furniture body 1 of the refrigerated counter rests on a base 2. In the rear area 3 of the furniture body 1 facing the operating personnel, an evaporator 4 is arranged in the embodiment shown in the figure. In this, a cooling air flow is generated in the conventional manner, which is initially guided through two heat exchangers 5 and 5' arranged below the evaporator 4, shown by the arrow a. The cooling air flow is then guided along underneath the goods display floor 6 (arrows b) and then directed to the front area of the goods display floor 6 facing the customer (arrow c), since this area of the goods display floor 6 is cooled less strongly due to the cooling of the coolant in the coolant (mixture) circuit.

The refrigerated counter also has two coolant (mixture) circuits 7 and T , which are assigned to the evaporators 5 and 5' respectively. The aforementioned coolant (mixture) circuits 7 and T are designed in the form of a meandering pipe coil arranged under the product display shelves 6 and 6 ^' . Of course, other arrangements of the pipes are also conceivable and expedient.

While in the embodiment shown in Figure 1 only one evaporator 4, one goods display floor 6 and two goods display floor 6

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Φ Φ Φ Φ 4 • Φ &phgr;
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• •Φ; Φ Φ
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P00227gm-DE/KCB = EM-KCB0002
24.11.2000 - Christoph Zahn/tö

• C · ·

assigned refrigerant (mixture) circuits 7 and 7' are arranged, the embodiment according to Figure 2 shows two evaporators 4 and 4\, two product display shelves 6 and 6 ¹ and two additional refrigerant (mixture) circuits 7 and 7', wherein each product display shelf 6 or 6 ¹ is assigned a refrigerant (mixture) circuit 7 or T.

Claims (4)

1. Goods presentation furniture, in particular a refrigerated counter ( 1 ), with at least one evaporator ( 4 , 4 ') and/or heat exchanger in which a cooled air flow (a, b, c) is generated, characterized in that at least one additional separate, closed coolant (mixture) circuit ( 7 , 7 ') is provided, which enables contact cooling of the goods display floor(s) ( 6 , 6 ') and/or the goods room(s), this has at least one heat exchanger ( 5 , 5 '), wherein the heat exchanger(s) ( 5 , 5 ') are arranged in such a way that the cooled air flow (a, b, c) generated in the evaporator(s) ( 4 , 4 ') and/or heat exchanger(s) is at least partially guided through the heat exchanger(s) ( 5 , 5 '). 2. Goods display furniture according to claim 1, characterized in that the additional separate, closed coolant (mixture) circuit(s) ( 7 , 7 ') are designed to be removable from the goods display furniture. 3. Goods display furniture according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that means are provided for supplying the generated cooled air flow (a, b, c) to the goods display floor(s) ( 6 , 6 ') and/or the goods room(s), preferably to the areas of the goods display floor(s) ( 6 , 6 ') and/or the goods room(s) which are cooled less by the contact cooling. 4. Goods presentation furniture according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the goods display shelf(s) ( 6 , 6 ') and/or the goods compartment(s) are designed to be removable from the goods presentation furniture.