US20190008289A1

US20190008289A1 - Refrigeration display case

Info

Publication number: US20190008289A1
Application number: US16/027,665
Authority: US
Inventors: Chengjian Che; ChaoChang Zhang; Qianli Fu
Original assignee: Carrier Corp
Current assignee: Carrier Corp
Priority date: 2017-07-07
Filing date: 2018-07-05
Publication date: 2019-01-10
Also published as: CN207898299U

Abstract

A refrigeration display cabinet, including: a refrigeration loop having an exhaust port of a compressor, a condenser, throttling elements, a plurality of evaporators connected in parallel, and an induction port of the compressor that are connected sequentially through a flow path; a display space; and a display cabinet base in which the plurality of evaporators are superposed, wherein partition boards are disposed between the plurality of evaporators respectively, and gutters are disposed at two sides of each of the partition boards. The gutters disposed at two sides effectively avoid problems such as tilted deployment of the partition board due to installation precision or structural design, such that water from melted frost can be guided to be drained in any case. Moreover, the gutters disposed at two sides also accelerate the drainage of the water from melted frost.

Description

FOREIGN PRIORITY

This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201720817201.X, filed Jul. 7, 2017, and all the benefits accruing therefrom under 35 U.S.C. § 119, the contents of which in its entirety are herein incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The utility model relates to the field of refrigeration, and in particular, to a refrigeration display cabinet.

BACKGROUND ART

Consumables on the market that need to be stored at a low temperature are generally placed in a refrigeration display cabinet in the market for storage and sales exhibition. According to storage requirements of such consumables, the design of the refrigeration display cabinet emphasizes the refrigeration capability and constant-temperature performance. As for the design of the constant-temperature performance, an evaporator of a current conventional refrigeration display cabinet will have frost due to a temperature difference between internal and external environments after a system of the refrigeration display cabinet operates for a period of time. If a defrosting operation is performed directly, a flow path of the evaporator is directly disconnected, and the temperature of air emitted in the refrigeration display cabinet will increase gradually, which causes the temperature of the consumables stored in the cabinet to increase by about 1-3° C., greatly affecting the storage of the commodities. Further, in normal operating after the defrosting operation is performed, the temperature of the consumables will be reduced by the same value, and such temperature fluctuation has a greater effect on the consumables. The defrosting operation of the refrigeration display cabinet is performed frequently. Therefore, the storage life of the consumables, e.g., foods is greatly reduced. Moreover, a compressor needs to be controlled on and off frequently, affecting reliability of the compressor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The utility model is directed to a refrigeration display cabinet, so as to solve the problem of severe temperature fluctuation of a display cabinet during defrosting of evaporators.
According to one aspect of the utility model, a refrigeration display cabinet is provided, including: a refrigeration loop having an exhaust port of a compressor, a condenser, throttling elements, a plurality of evaporators connected in parallel, and an induction port of the compressor that are connected sequentially through a flow path; a display space; and a display cabinet base in which the plurality of evaporators are superposed, wherein partition boards are disposed between the plurality of evaporators respectively, and gutters are disposed at two sides of each of the partition boards.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a refrigeration display cabinet according to the utility model.

FIG. 2 is a schematic local diagram of a display cabinet base of the refrigeration display cabinet shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of front and rear flow paths of an evaporator according to an embodiment of the utility model.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a partition board according to the utility model.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, an embodiment of a refrigeration display cabinet is shown. The refrigeration display cabinet 100 includes a refrigeration display cabinet body and a refrigeration loop 110 configured to provide refrigerating capacity. The refrigeration loop 110 has an exhaust port of a compressor, a condenser, throttling elements 115 a, 115 b, two evaporators 111 a, 111 b connected in parallel, and an induction port of the compressor. Although merely parts closely related to the conception are shown, other parts of the refrigeration loop that are not shown can adopt conventional constructions and connection manners. Therefore, those skilled in the art can completely understand the composition of the conception.
On the other hand, the refrigeration display cabinet body includes a display space 120 configured to provide food storage and sales exhibition, and a display cabinet base 130 configured to provide an installation space for some components and parts of the refrigeration loop. Specifically, the two evaporators 111 a, 111 b are superposed in the display cabinet base 130. A partition board 112 is disposed between the two evaporators 111 a, 111 b. Gutters 112 a, 112 b are disposed at two sides of each partition board 112. The structure of this embodiment is described by taking two evaporators as an example. In fact, the number of deployed evaporators can be changed according to actual situations in consideration of performance tests and costs, and partition boards 112 provided with gutters 111 a, 111 b at two sides can be disposed between the evaporators respectively.
In such a deployment, the evaporator assembly is formed by a plurality of evaporators assembled together. Taking two groups of evaporators as an example, the two groups of evaporators can be turned off separately for defrosting. In this case, the refrigeration display cabinet can always be in the refrigeration operating state, and the temperature in the display space can be more stable even though the refrigeration capability is lowered, thus managing and controlling the food temperature more desirably. Besides, energy consumption is reduced as no electric heating tube needs to be disposed. Moreover, the number of start and stop times is reduced to lower the impact of pressure pulsation on the compressor. Moreover, when the required refrigeration load is less than half of a total rated value or lower, it is also possible to turn on only one group of evaporators and turn off the other group of evaporators. In this case, the evaporator will operate a smaller heat-exchange area, and the refrigeration daily electrical energy consumption (REC) is reduced accordingly.
More crucially, when the evaporator 111 a disposed relatively at the upper side performs defrosting and the evaporator 111 b disposed relatively at the lower side operates, water from melted frost generated during defrosting of the evaporator 111 a will drop and be collected on the partition board 112 because the partition board 112 is disposed between the two evaporators. The water is then guided along the gutters 112 a, 112 b at two sides of the partition board 112, thus avoiding the problem that the water drops on the evaporator 111 b underneath and is frosted again. The gutters disposed at two sides effectively avoid the problems such as tilted deployment of the partition board due to installation precision or structural design, such that the water from melted frost can be guided to be drained in any case. Moreover, the gutters disposed at two sides also accelerate the drainage of the water from melted frost, thus shortening an operation time of defrosting and optimally alleviating the problem of temperature fluctuation in the cabinet.
Moreover, to further improve the refrigeration display cabinet, structures or connections of the components and parts in the refrigeration display cabinet are further optimized or adjusted, which will be described through examples in the following.
Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, optionally, the partition board can be disposed in the display cabinet base 130 together with the evaporators 111 a, 111 b horizontally. As such, it is more conducive to the overall structure deployment and convenient for drainage. For another example, the partition board 112 can be disposed between the evaporators 111 a, 111 b in a non-contact manner, to prevent some fins of the evaporators from blocking the drainage.
Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, optionally, the gutters can be disposed at an upstream side and a downstream side of the evaporators 111 a, 111 b through which an air flow passes. In this case, as the air participating in the working cycle flows through design positions of the gutters, evaporation or drainage processes of water will be accelerated. For another example, referring to FIG. 4, a specific structure of a gutter is further provided. The gutters 112 a, 112 b are grooves formed by stamping on the partition board 112, and the gutters 112 a, 112 b can be arc-shaped grooves having uniform radian.
Optionally, the display space 120 can be provided with an opening, and an air curtain 121 is formed at the opening, for a consumer to view and acquire a commodity conveniently. For another example, the display cabinet base 130 is disposed at the bottom of the display space 120. As such, the consumer can view and acquire the commodity in the display space 120 more conveniently, and the refrigeration loop can be deployed in the display cabinet base 130 more conveniently.
Moreover, the refrigeration loop 110 further includes two solenoid valves 114 a, 114 b disposed corresponding to the two evaporators 111 a, 111 b. The two solenoid valves 114 a, 114 b are configured to control on/off of the evaporators 111 a, 111 b respectively. In this case, an evaporator to be turned off for a defrosting operation can be selected according to an actual frosting situation, thus achieving higher flexibility. Moreover, an evaporator can be actively turned off when the refrigeration load of the refrigeration display cabinet is low, thereby improving the utilization rate of energy and reducing the cost.
Still referring to FIG. 2, in this example, the solenoid valves 114 a, 114 b can be disposed on the refrigeration loop 110 at upstream of the evaporators 111 a, 111 b. In this case, when the solenoid valves 114 a, 114 b are turned off to perform the defrosting operation, refrigerant is prevented from flowing continuously and being stocked in the evaporators 111 a, 111 b. Therefore, loss of some refrigerant participating in the work can be avoided on one hand, and energy consumption of defrosting can also be lowered on the other hand.
Further, the solenoid valves 114 a, 114 b can be disposed on the refrigeration loop 110 at upstream of the throttling elements 115 a, 115 b. In this case, when the solenoid valves 114 a, 114 b are turned off to perform the defrosting operation, refrigerant is prevented from flowing continuously and being stocked in the evaporators 111 a, 111 b and the throttling elements 115 a, 115 b. Therefore, loss of some refrigerant participating in the work can be avoided on one hand, and energy consumption of defrosting can also be lowered on the other hand.
In addition, to facilitate monitoring of the defrosting operation, the refrigeration loop 110 further includes sensors disposed corresponding to the two evaporators 111 a, 111 b. The two solenoid valves 114 a, 114 b separately control on/off of the evaporators 111 a, 111 b based on feedback data of the sensors. For example, the sensors shown in FIG. 2 are temperature sensors 116 a, 116 b, which are disposed at outlet sides of the evaporators 111 a, 111 b. That is, temperature at the outlet of the evaporator is monitored to determine whether frosting occurs, and it is thus determined whether to perform the defrosting operation. Similarly, the foregoing determination operation may also be performed with the assistance of pressure sensors. Definitely, the positions where the sensors are disposed may also be adjusted according to an actual situation.
Optionally, the refrigeration loop 110 may also employ a multi-way valve to selectively turn on one of the evaporators connected in parallel, and the foregoing effect can also be achieved.
Here, an example of a normal operating mode of the refrigeration display cabinet is also provided. Based on the normal operating mode, time for stopping operation and performing defrosting is provided for each evaporator. Therefore, the demands of using a designated defrosting mode can be reduced as far as possible, such that the whole display cabinet operates more stably. Specifically, during normal running of the refrigeration display cabinet 100, the refrigeration loop 110 is configured to perform the following operations circularly: all the evaporators 111 a, 111 b work; the evaporator 111 a works and the evaporator 111 b performs defrosting; and the evaporator 111 b works and the evaporator 111 a performs defrosting.
The working principle of an embodiment of the refrigeration display cabinet will be described in the following with reference to FIG. 1.
When the refrigeration display cabinet runs normally, condensed refrigerant in the refrigeration loop 110 flows through the throttling elements 115 a, 115 b respectively for expansion and throttling, and then flows into the evaporators 111 a, 111 b for evaporation and refrigeration. Moreover, after refrigeration is completed, the refrigerant flows back to the compressor to participate in the next cycle. On the other hand, driven by an evaporator fan 113, the air flows through the evaporators 111 a, 111 b to perform heat exchange with the refrigerant flows through the evaporators. The cooled air is guided from the back of the display cabinet to the top of the display cabinet, and is then blown out from top to bottom at the front side of the display cabinet to form an air curtain 121, so as to isolate the interior of the display space 120 from the ambient heat to some extent.
When a part of the evaporators in the refrigeration display cabinet performs defrosting, e.g., when the evaporator 111 a needs to perform defrosting, in this case, the solenoid valve 114 a is turned off and the solenoid valve 114 b is kept on, such that the evaporator 111 b is still in an operating state, thus ensuring that no excessive temperature fluctuation will be caused in the display space during defrosting. The water from melted frost during defrosting of the evaporator 111 a will drop on the partition board 112 and then drained by the gutters 112 a, 112 b disposed at two sides, thus avoiding affecting the evaporator 111 b underneath.
The foregoing examples mainly describe a refrigeration display cabinet of the utility model. Although some implementations of the present invention are described, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the present invention can be implemented in many other forms without departing from the essence and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the examples and implementations displayed are considered as schematic rather than limitative. The present invention may cover various modifications and replacements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A refrigeration display cabinet, comprising:

a refrigeration loop having an exhaust port of a compressor, a condenser, throttling elements, a plurality of evaporators connected in parallel, and an induction port of the compressor that are connected sequentially through a flow path;

a display space; and

a display cabinet base in which the plurality of evaporators are superposed, wherein

partition boards are disposed between the plurality of evaporators respectively, and gutters are disposed at two sides of each of the partition boards.

2. The refrigeration display cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the gutters are disposed at an upstream side and a downstream side of the evaporator through which an air flow passes.

3. The refrigeration display cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the gutters are grooves formed by stamping on the partition board.

4. The refrigeration display cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the gutters are arc-shaped grooves having a uniform radian.

5. The refrigeration display cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the partition boards and the evaporators are disposed horizontally in the display cabinet base.

6. The refrigeration display cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the partition board is disposed between the evaporators in a non-contact manner.

7. The refrigeration display cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the refrigeration loop further comprises a multi-way valve, and the multi-way valve is configured to selectively turn on one of the plurality of evaporators connected in parallel.

8. The refrigeration display cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the refrigeration loop further comprises a plurality of solenoid valves disposed corresponding to the plurality of evaporators, and the plurality of solenoid valves are configured to control on/off of the evaporators respectively.

9. The refrigeration display cabinet according to claim 8, wherein the solenoid valve is disposed on a refrigeration loop at upstream of the evaporator.

10. The refrigeration display cabinet according to claim 8, wherein the solenoid valve is disposed on a refrigeration loop at upstream of the throttling element.

11. The refrigeration display cabinet according to claim 8, wherein the refrigeration loop further comprises sensors disposed corresponding to the plurality of evaporators, the plurality of solenoid valves control on/off of the evaporators based on feedback data of the sensors respectively; and the sensors are temperature sensors and/or pressure sensors.

12. The refrigeration display cabinet according to claim 11, wherein the sensor is disposed at an outlet side of the evaporator.

13. The refrigeration display cabinet according to claim 1, wherein the evaporator comprises a first evaporator and a second evaporator; when the refrigeration display cabinet runs normally, the refrigeration loop is configured to perform the following operations circularly: all the evaporators work; the first evaporator works and the second evaporator performs defrosting; and the second evaporator works and the first evaporator performs defrosting.