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US 12,203,694 B2Granted
Thermal frame with flange heat input
AssigneeAnthony, Inc.
InventorsJuan Pablo Ramirez, Juan Francisco Flores
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A frame for a refrigerated enclosure includes a frame segment having, in cross-section, a main frame member including a base, a middle wall, and a forward flange. The forward flange of the main frame member absorbs heat from the ambient air to increase a temperature of one or more locations of the frame segment or a door of the refrigerated enclosure.
Claims16
A temperature-controlled enclosure for displaying cold items, comprising:
- a body comprising a front opening and defining an interior space of the temperature- controlled enclosure;
- a contact plate;
- a frame assembly coupled in the front opening of the body and supporting the contact plate, wherein the frame assembly comprises a frame segment comprising, in cross-section:
- a main frame member comprising:
- a base;
- a middle wall;
- and
- a forward flange extending away from the middle wall and having a front surface exposed to ambient air, the forward flange comprising a central region defined between a raised corner and an outer edge of the forward flange, wherein, within the central region, the front surface is non-planar, thereby, providing a heat transfer surface with more surface area in contact with the ambient air than a planar surface, whereby, heat from the ambient air is conducted through the main frame member to the contact plate;
- and
- one or more doors coupled to the frame assembly, wherein at least one of the doors comprises:
- one or more window panels;
- and
- a gasket coupled on a rear surface of the door, wherein the gasket is configured to form a seal between the frame assembly and the door when the door is closed,
- wherein the central region of the forward flange comprises two or more ridges between the raised corner and the outer edge, each ridge comprising a planar top surface.
11 more elements
A frame for a refrigerated enclosure, comprising:
- a frame segment comprising, in cross-section:
- a main frame member comprising:
- a base;
- a middle wall;
- and
- a forward flange, the forward flange having a length of at least about 1.5 inches that defines a portion of a heat transfer surface that controls one or more thermal characteristics at one or more locations on the frame segment by absorbing heat from ambient air, the forward flange extending away from the middle wall and having the heat transfer surface exposed to ambient air, the forward flange comprising a central region defined between a raised corner and an outer edge of the forward flange, wherein, within the central region, the heat transfer surface is non-planar, thereby, providing the heat transfer surface with more surface area in contact with the ambient air than a planar surface, whereby, heat from the ambient air is conducted through the main frame member to a contact plate at an increased rate relative to the planar surface, the contact plate configured to receive a door, wherein the central region comprises two or more ridges, each ridge comprising a planar top surface,
- wherein the heat transfer surface of the forward flange of the main frame member is configured to absorb heat from the ambient air to increase a temperature of the one or more locations of the frame segment.
4 more elements
A frame for a refrigerated enclosure, comprising:
- a frame segment comprising, in cross-section:
- a main frame member comprising:
- a base;
- a middle wall;
- and
- a forward flange, the forward flange having a heat transfer surface that controls one or more thermal characteristics at one or more locations on the frame segment by absorbing heat from ambient air, the forward flange extending away from the middle wall and having the heat transfer surface exposed to ambient air, the heat transfer surface comprising a central region defined between a raised corner and an outer edge of the forward flange, and a non-planar surface, the non-planar surface comprising:
- a plurality of flat surfaces;
- and
- a plurality of ridges comprising a planar top surface, the plurality of ridges interspersed between the plurality of flat surfaces and extending outward from the plurality of flat surfaces, thereby, providing the heat transfer surface with more surface area in contact with the ambient air than a planar surface, whereby, heat from the ambient air is conducted through the main frame member to a contact plate at an increased rate relative to the planar surface, the contact plate configured to receive a door.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.