Energy conserving refrigerated merchandiser display case
AssigneeTyler Refrigeration Corporation
InventorFayez F. Ibrahim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improvement in refrigerated display cabinets in which barrier doors and one or more guard air bands protect the primary refrigerated air band which is circulated within the cabinets during time periods when the barrier door is opened. The cabinets may be equipped with air defrost systems. When two guard air bands are employed, the outermost of these is directed across the outside surface of the barrier door. The air defrost system can incorporate a door opening mechanism which provides a gap between the barrier door and the access opening in order to permit ambient air through-flow for defrost purposes. Control circuitry can be controlled by opening of the barrier doors in order to actuate the guard air band movement.
Claims61
In a display cabinet having refrigeration means and a display space therein, aperture means in at least one wall of said cabinet, said aperture means including an access opening for permitting products to be moved into and out of said display space, a first air circulating means for moving a primary air band within said cabinet about said display space and into contact with said refrigeration means during a refrigeration cycle, covering means for said aperture means including at least one barrier door for substantially covering a portion of said access opening, a first air band conduit arranged about said display space for containing said primary air band, said conduit arranged to establish a refrigerated primary air band along a path inside of said barrier door, and a second air band conduit arranged about said first air band conduit for containing a secondary air band, said second conduit arranged to establish a secondary guard air band curtain along a path contiguous to and outside of said primary air band over said access opening;
- the improvement comprising:
- a second air circulating means for moving said secondary air band;
- and, actuating means for selectively activating said second air circulating means responsive to the opening of said barrier door.
A refrigerated display cabinet having top, bottom, rear and front walls and an interior display space, with an access opening in said front wall for enabling access into said interior display space comprising:
- at least one barrier door covering said access opening in said front wall, said door being movable into an open position for enabling access to products in said interior display space;
- a first air band conduit extending along said top, bottom and rear walls and having an outlet opening and an inlet opening at opposing ends thereof, said outlet opening and said inlet opening being arranged so that air leaving said outlet opening will be directed toward and received by said inlet opening so as to form a refrigerated primary air band across said front opening along a path inside of said door;
- first air circulating means for circulating said primary air band through said first air band conduit;
- refrigeration means including an evaporator coil arranged within said first air band conduit for refrigerating air circulated through said conduit during a refrigeration cycle of operation;
- a second air band conduit extending about said first air band conduit and having an outlet opening and an inlet opening respectively adjacent to said outlet opening and said inlet opening of said first air band conduit for directing air across said access opening along a path outside of said primary air band so as to form a secondary guard air band curtain;
- second air circulating means for circulating air through said second air band conduit;
- and,
- actuating means for selectively actuating said second air circulating means for operation during a refrigeration cycle responsive to the opening of said door.
A method of operating a refrigerated display cabinet comprising a cabinet having a display space therein, an aperture means in at least one wall thereof, the aperture means including an access opening for permitting products to be moved into and out of the display space, a first air circulating means for moving a primary air band within the cabinet about the display space and into contact with a refrigeration means during a refrigeration cycle, covering means for the aperture means including at least one barrier door for substantially covering a portion of the access opening, a first air band conduit arranged about the display space for containing the primary air band, the first air conduit arranged to establish a refrigerated primary air band along a path inside of the barrier door, and a second air band conduit arranged about the first air conduit for containing a secondary air band, the second air conduit arranged to establish a secondary guard air band curtain along a path contiguous to and outside of the primary air band, a second air circulating means for moving the secondary air band, and actuating means for controlling operation of the secondary air circulating means;
- the method comprising the steps of:
- operating the first air circulating means to establish a refrigerated primary air band during a refrigeration cycle of operation, operating the second air circulating means through the actuating means responsive to the opening of the barrier door to establish a secondary guard air band curtain outside of the primary air band in order to protect the primary air band from contact with ambient air when the barrier door is opened.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.