Air curtain system for a refrigerated case
AssigneeDelaware Capital Formation, Inc.
InventorTimothy Dean Swofford
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerated display case, an air curtain system, and a method of providing an air curtain are provided. The air curtain is suitable for use with a refrigerated display case of the type having an open front, including those with a door selectively covering the open-front. The air curtain includes a secondary layer formed of ambient air cooled by exposure to a refrigerated primary layer.
Claims28
An air curtain system for an open-front refrigerated case of a type having a refrigerated primary layer of air circulating at least partially across the open front, the air curtain system comprising:
- an air flow path having an inlet and an outlet;
- and
- an air flow device operatively coupled to the air flow path to draw a source of cooled ambient air into the inlet for circulation as a secondary layer,
- a dehumidification device disposed remotely from the case and operatively coupled to the air flow path,
- wherein the source of cooled ambient air is ambient air that is cooled by exposure to the refrigerated primary layer of air and that spills over an outer surface of the refrigerated case.
A refrigerated display case comprising:
- a housing having an open front and defining a space adapted to receive objects;
- and
- a cooling system providing an air curtain with a refrigerated primary layer and a cooled secondary layer, the refrigerated primary layer exiting from a first opening and extending at least partially across the open front, the cooled secondary layer exiting from a second opening and formed of ambient air cooled by exposure to the refrigerated primary layer that is drawn into a passageway within the housing after spilling over a front surface of the housing;
- and
- a dehumidification device disposed remotely from the housing and operatively coupled to the passageway.
(canceled)
A method of providing an air curtain for use with an open-front refrigerated display case, the method comprising:
- providing a first flow path within the case configured to refrigerate and circulate a primary layer of air across an open front of the case;
- providing a second flow path configured to draw-in ambient air cooled by the primary layer from a region external to a lower front surface of the case and discharge the cooled ambient air in the form of a secondary layer outwardly adjacent to the primary layer;
- providing an airflow device operatively coupled to the second flow path to circulate the cooled ambient air;
- and
- providing a dehumidification device disposed remotely from the case and operatively coupled to the second flow path.
(canceled)
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.