DE20105426U1 - Cooling shelf - Google Patents

Description

P01068gm-DE/KKT = EM-KKT0261

March 23, 2001 - Christoph Zahn/(bb). ₄ -, .. . .

Description Cooling shelf

The invention relates to an at least partially cooled shelf.

Figure 1 shows a side view, not to scale, of a refrigerated display cabinet of this type, which is part of the state of the art. This has an insulated body 1, which rests on a base 2. The insulated body 1 encloses a goods area, in which several goods display shelves 5 are usually arranged. The goods area floor 6 is also used for displaying goods.

In the front lower area of the refrigerated display case there is a return air grille 9 through which cooling air - shown by the arrows - and air from the surroundings of the refrigerated display case are sucked in by means of a fan (not shown in Figure 1) and fed to an evaporator 7 in which they are cooled. The cooling air flow cooled in the evaporator 7 is then fed back into the goods area via the return air duct 3 and the supply air grille 8. The cooling air flow flowing from the supply air grille 8 to the return air grille 9 forms a cooling air curtain that effectively prevents warm ambient air from penetrating the goods area. Often - through appropriate design measures - a multi-layered cooling air curtain is formed along the goods area opening.

In addition, the rear wall 4 of the goods room is usually perforated so that cooling air can enter the goods room from the return air duct 3 via the perforated goods room rear wall 4, with this portion of the cooling air flowing over the goods arranged on the goods presentation floors 5 and cooling them.

Such refrigerated shelves have a comparatively high cooling requirement. This is mainly due to the large front opening of the cabinet and the associated, unavoidable loss of cold to the environment. This means that a partial flow of the cooling air curtain flowing along the opening in the goods compartment inevitably falls out of the cabinet and is thus lost. The resulting cooling of the area around the cabinet also leads to complaints, as the staff who

P01068gm-DE/KKT= EM-KKT0261

03/23/2001 - Christoph Zahn/(bb)., ». .. ...» *·

who is employed in the area where such furniture is installed, has a relatively high level of sickness.

The cooling air flowing over the perforated rear wall 4 from the supply air duct 3, which is guided over the product display floors 5, also contributes to the destabilization of the possibly multi-layered cooling air curtain. This type of cooling air routing also has the disadvantage that there is a risk of the goods presented on the product display floors 5 freezing in the area of the supply air. In addition, this type of cooling air routing - particularly if this cooling air routing is only implemented temporarily - can lead to undesirable condensation on the product display floors 5, which is harmful to the goods presented.

The object of the present invention is to provide a generic shelf product presentation furniture which avoids the aforementioned disadvantages.

To solve this problem, an at least partially cooled shelf with a goods compartment,

Means for generating a cooling air flow, - an at least partially perforated rear wall of the goods compartment,

a return air duct into which the cooling air to be returned enters via the perforated rear wall of the goods compartment,

two separate supply air ducts, through which a partial flow of the generated cooling air flow is fed to the goods room, - whereby one of the supply air ducts is connected to a

shelf is operatively connected to a cooling air outlet opening arranged in the front, upper area of the shelf and the other supply air duct is operatively connected to a cooling air outlet opening arranged in the front, upper area of the shelf.
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The at least partially cooled shelf according to the invention and further embodiments thereof, which are the subject matter of the subclaims, are explained in more detail below with reference to the embodiment shown in Figure 2. Figure 2 also shows a side sectional view, not to scale, through an at least partially cooled shelf.

P01068gm-DE/KKT = EM-KKT0261
03/23/2001 - Christoph Zahn/(bb)

The at least partially cooled shelf according to the invention has an insulated furniture body 11 which rests on a base 12. The insulated body 11 encloses a goods room in which several goods presentation floors 15 can be arranged. Furthermore, the goods room floor 16 can also be used to present goods.

The means for generating the cooling air flow are designed as two separate evaporators or heat exchangers 17 and 17', to which a common fan 23 is assigned. If it is a so-called plug-in refrigeration unit, a corresponding condensing unit (not shown in Figure 2) must be provided, which can be arranged on the unit, for example.

The shelf according to the invention now has two separate supply air ducts 20 and 21, whereby one supply air duct 20 is operatively connected to a cooling air outlet opening 19 arranged in the front, lower area of the shelf, while the other supply air duct 21 is operatively connected to a cooling air outlet opening 18 arranged in the front, upper area of the shelf. The cooling air partial flows generated in the previously described evaporators or heat exchangers 17 and 17' (shown by the arrows) are thus supplied to the goods space of the shelf according to the invention both from above - via the cooling air outlet opening 18 - and from below - via the cooling air outlet opening 19.

The cooling air is returned to the fan 23 and to the evaporators or heat exchangers 17 and 17' via the at least partially perforated rear wall 14 of the goods compartment and the return air duct 22 arranged directly behind the rear wall 14 of the goods compartment.

Because the cooling air is now sucked in or drawn in via the perforated rear wall 14 of the goods compartment into the return air duct 22, the falling out of the furniture or the goods compartment can be effectively prevented. Furthermore, the cooling air, when it is guided over the goods presentation floors 15 or the goods presented thereon, has a higher temperature than at the cooling air outlet openings 18 and 19, so that the risk of freezing for the goods mentioned in connection with the shelf construction shown in Figure 1 is eliminated.

P01068gm-DE/KKT = EM-KKT0261
03/23/2001 - Christoph Zahn/(bb)

presented goods is reduced or eliminated. This also applies to the aforementioned risk of condensation.

The shelf according to the invention is further characterized in that the temperature distribution within the goods space and thus also on the goods presented is more uniform than in the shelf construction shown in Figure 1.

Advantageously, each supply air duct 20 and 21 is assigned at least one separate evaporator or heat exchanger 17 or 17'. Depending on the

However, for the purpose of guiding cooling air, it may also be sufficient if only one evaporator or heat exchanger is provided; for example, if this is arranged directly in front of or behind the fan 23 and the distribution of the cooling air flow generated only takes place afterwards.
15

Basically, arranging the means for generating a cooling air flow - i.e. the evaporator or heat exchanger 17 and 17' and the fan 23 - in the ceiling area of the furniture results in a gain in space that can be used for product presentation, since the product area floor 16 can be lowered - in comparison to the product area floor 6 shown in Figure 1. The arrangement of the aforementioned components in the ceiling area of the furniture also makes their maintenance considerably easier.

However, the disadvantage of the at least partially cooled shelf according to the invention is that ambient air is also sucked in due to the cooling air flow described. This leads - unless compensated by appropriate measures (lowering the cooling air temperature or similar) - to an increase in the temperature of the goods room.

Claims (5)

1. At least partially cooled shelf with - a goods room, - means for generating a cooling air flow, - an at least partially perforated goods compartment rear wall F ( 14 ), - a return air duct ( 22 ) into which the cooling air to be returned enters via the perforated rear wall of the goods compartment ( 14 ), - two separate supply air ducts ( 20 , 21 ), via each of which a partial flow of the generated cooling air flow is supplied to the goods room, - wherein one of the supply air ducts ( 20 ) is in operative connection with a cooling air outlet opening ( 19 ) arranged in the front, lower area of the shelf and - the other supply air duct ( 21 ) is in operative connection with a cooling air outlet opening ( 18 ) arranged in the front, upper area of the shelf. 2. At least partially cooled shelf according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for generating a cooling air flow comprise one or more evaporators or heat exchangers ( 17 , 17 ') and at least one fan ( 23 ). 3. At least partially cooled shelf according to claim 2, characterized in that each supply air duct ( 20 , 21 ) is assigned at least one evaporator or heat exchanger ( 17 , 17 '). 4. At least partially cooled shelf according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that each supply air duct ( 20 , 21 ) is assigned at least one separate evaporator or heat exchanger ( 17 , 17 '). 5. At least partially cooled shelf according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 4, characterized in that one or more product presentation shelves ( 15 ) are arranged in the goods space.