GB2198030A - An optionally refrigerated display unit - Google Patents

Abstract

A display unit, for example for the retail sale of food, comprises a gondola (2) which accommodates a removable, free- standing, refrigerated unit (18). Thus, produce which needs to be kept chilled can be displayed in the refrigerated unit (18), while other parts of the gondola can receive produce which can be kept at room temperature. <IMAGE>

Description

A DISPLAY UNIT This invention relates to a display unit, for example a display unit for produce, such as fruit and vegetables, for retail sale in supermarkets.

Such display units are commonly referred to as gondolas. A conventional gondola comprises a base having feet for supporting the gondola on the floor.

At the rear of the base, there is a rear wall having at its upper end a top wall or hood which projects over the base. A relatively low front wall projects upwardly from the front of the base, and access to the produce in the gondola is obtained between the top of the front wall and the top wall. Trays and shelves are supported on the rear wall and on the base for carrying produce.

Such gondolas have no provision for refrigeration, and so the goods displayed in them will be at room temperature. It is, however, sometimes desirable for produce to be kept at low temperatures (for example 5 to 90) in order to prolong the shelf life. If chilled goods are to be displayed, then a refrigerated cabinet is used. A refrigerated cabinet may, like a gondola, have a relatively high rear wall provided with shelves.

A refrigeration unit in the base of the cabinet supplies cooled air to produce on the shelves. An unrefrigerated gondola may be built up from a number of standard components, whereas a refrigerated cabinet is normally of unitary construction and cannot easily be dismantled.

The replacement of a gondola by a refrigerated cabinet is a major undertaking, since all of the produce from the gondola has to be removed, the gondola has to be dismantled and taken away, and the refrigerated cabinet has to be installed in its place.

The difficulties are even greater if the refrigerated cabinet requires plumbing work with access to a fixed drain. The operators of retail premises like to be able to change the arrangement of their displays, but this has not been easy to achieve where a refrigerated display is to be replaced by an unrefrigerated display, or vice versa. Also, with existing equipment, it has not been possible to display chilled and unchilled produce side-by-side in the same gondola.

According to the present invention, there is provided a display unit comprising a gondola which accommodates a removable, free-standing refrigerated cassette.

Preferably, the refrigerated cassette is mounted upon wheels so that it can be moved easily over the floor into and out of position in the gondola, after removing any front wall of the gondola which may be present.

The refrigerated cassette is preferably entirely self-contained, and comprises a refrigeration unit, including any necessary control circuitry, and means for distributing cooled air to produce supported by the refrigerated cassette.

The present invention also provides a refrigerated cassette for use in a display unit as defined above.

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic side view of a conventional gondola for displaying produce; Figure 2 is a schematic side view of a refrigerated cassette; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the refrigerated cassette of Figure 2; Figure 4 corresponds to Figure 3 but shows the refrigerated cassette in a modified form; Figure 5 is a schematic side view of the gondola of Figure 1 with the refrigerated cassette of Figures 2 and 3 installed in it; and Figure 6 is a schematic plan view of the gondola and refrigerated cassette of Figure 5.

Referring to Figure 1, the gondola 2 comprises a plurality of L-shaped members 4 disposed side-by-side (only one being visible in Figure 1). These L-shaped members 4 each have an upright limb 6 and a horizontal limb 8. The horizontal limb 8 has feet 10 which, are adjustable upwardly and downwardly to vary the height of the gondola.

The L-shaped members 4 are spaced apart and interconnected by wall panels 9 (see Figure 6) which are releasably attached to the upright limbs 6 of adjacent members 4. The limbs 6 and the wall panels 9 together form a rear wall of the gondola. A hood 12 extends across the top of this rear wall. A front wall 14 is provided at the front of the gondola, extending upwardly from the front ends of the horizontal limbs 8 of the L-shaped members 4. The hood 12 and the front wall 14 are made up of sections which correspond in length to the width of the panels 9 making up the rear wall. Thus, the gondola is built up from modules, so that the overall length of the gondola can be adjusted by using the appropriate number of modules.

Mirrors 16 are provided on the upright limbs 6.

Lighting arrangements, not shown, may be disposed in the hood 12 and the front wall 14.

The upright limbs 6 are provided with apertures.

These apertures receive supports 17 which carry shelves 11 for supporting produce. The lower region of the gondola 2 is provided with deck trays 21, also for supporting produce.

The refrigerated cassette 18 shown in Figures 2 and 3 comprises a wheeled base 20 which supports a generally L-shaped structure 22 having a horizontal portion 24 and an upright rear baffle 26. The horizontal portion 24 has a front lip 25. The face of the rear baffle 26 is perforated, the rear baffle itself being hollow. The horizontal portion 24 is provided with removable deck plates 27. Removable and adjustable deck trays 28, which are also perforated, are fitted between the rear baffle 26 and the front lip. At the top end of the rear baffle 26, there is a cold air outlet 30.

The width d of the refrigeration unit 18 is slightly smaller than the spacing D (Figure 2) between adjacent L-shaped members 4 of the gondola. In the illustrated embodiment, the width d is 970 mm, the refrigerated cassette 18 shown in Figure 3 being intended for use in gondolas where the width of each module is 1 metre.

Figure 4 shows how the refrigerated cassette of Figure 3 can be modified to fit modules of different width. The rear baffle 26 is removed from the cassette and replaced by another rear baffle 26 . Similarly, the deck plates 27 are replaced by wider deck plates 27 To install the refrigerated cassette 18 in the gondola 2, the gondola shelves 19 and the trays 21 are removed from the appropriate module of the gondola.

The front wall 14 of that module is also removed, and the refrigerated cassette is then wheeled into position between the horizontal limbs 8 of the adjacent L-shaped members 4, as shown in Figure 5. The refrigeration unit of the cassette 18 is then connected to a suitable electrical supply and the front wall panel 14 is replaced.

As will be appreciated from Figures 1, 5 and 6, the rear baffle 26 of the refrigerated cassette stands proud of the rear wall panel 9 disposed between the upright limbs 6 of the adjacent L-shaped members 4.

Consequently, it is not possible to use the shelves 19 or the deck trays 21 removed from the gondola, since they are too wide to fit properly. Instead, the shelves 19 are replaced by narrower shelves 111, which can be supported on the original supports 17 fitted in the apertures in the upright limbs 6. Similarly, the deck trays 28 of the cassette 18 are narrower than the deck trays 21 of the gondola 2.

The refrigeration unit in the base 20 includes a fan for air circulation. Cooled air is passed up the interior of the rear baffle 26 to emerge through the perforations in the face of that portion and through the outlet 30 at the top. This cooled air thus falls over the produce on the shelves 11 . The base 20 may be provided with a removable container for receiving defrost condensate and wash water. In order to provide adequate air circulation, a vent may be provided in the front wall panel 14 of the gondola. This vent may be in the form of a hinged grille, so as to provide access to the container. However, if mains drainage is available in the vicinity of the refrigeration unit, then the container can be dispensed with, and defrost condensate and wash water can pass directly to the drain.

Claims (11)

1. A display unit comprising a gondola which accommodates a removable free-standing refrigerated unit for cooling produce carried by the display unit.

2. A display unit as claimed in claim 1, in which the gondola comprises a plurality of spaced-apart support members which are provided with support elements for carrying produce, the regrigerated unit being situated between two adjacent ones of the support members.

3. A display unit as claimed in claim 2, in which the support elements comprise shelves arranged in at least one row, the shelves in each row terminating at a common front edge.

4. A display unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the refrigerated unit is supported on wheels.

5. A display unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the regrigerated unit has a hollow rear wall for conveying cooled air to produce carried by the refrigerated unit.

6. A display unit as claimed in claim 5, in which the rear wall has a perforated front face for discharging cooled air.

7. A display unit as claimed in claim 5 or 6 when appendant to claim 3, in which some of the shelves extend across the front face of the rear wall of the refrigerated unit, these shelves being narrower than the shelves in the sazme row in a region of the gondola not occupied by the refrigerated unit.

8. A display unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the refrigerated unit has removable deck plates.

9. A display unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the gondola has a removable front wall to permit movement of the refrigerated unit into and out of the gondola.

10. A display unit substantially as described herein with reference to, and as shown in, Figures 2 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

11. A refrigerated unit for use in a display unit in accordance with any one of the preceding claims.