US 7,681,409 B2Granted

Curtain air admission assembly

AssigneeHill Phoenix, Inc.

InventorsAbbas A. Alahyari, Mary D. Saroka, Gary D. Winch

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Abstract

A refrigerated merchandiser includes a display case defining a product display region having an open-front isolated from the ambient air of the store by means of a downwardly directed inner air curtain of relatively cold refrigerated air and a downwardly directed outer air curtain of relatively warmer air established via an improved curtain air admission assembly. The curtain air admission assembly defines a plenum atop the refrigerated display through which the flow of air substantially reverses direction when passing from a first flow passage to a second flow passage. This reversal of flow direction serves to distribute the air flow more uniformly along the length of the display case.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A refrigerated merchandiser comprising:

a first housing defining a product display region having an open-front viewing area, said first housing having a first top wall;
an air curtain admission assembly operatively associated with said first housing, said air curtain admission assembly including a second housing disposed above said first top wall of said first housing, said second housing having a second top wall and a perimeter wall, an air inlet and an air outlet, said second housing defining a plenum opening to and extending between said air inlet and said air outlet;
a flow baffle disposed within said plenum and above said first top wall of said first housing, said flow baffle dividing said plenum into a first flow passage and a second flow passage above said first top wall of said first housing, said second flow passage having an inlet interfacing in flow communication with an outlet of said first flow passage, said first flow passage in flow communication with the air inlet to said plenum and said second flow passage in flow communication with the air outlet of said plenum;
and an air mover operatively associated with said air curtain admission assembly, the air mover operative to direct air from externally of said second housing through the air inlet to said plenum, thence through said first flow passage, thence through said second flow passage and out of the air outlet to said plenum generally across the open front viewing area of the product display region, the flow of air through said plenum substantially reversing direction when passing from said first flow passage to said second flow passage;
—further comprising a second flow baffle disposed in said plenum and establishing a third flow passage in said plenum beneath a forward end of the second flow passage whereby the air flow passing through the second flow passage turns through an angle of at least 90 degrees when passing from the second flow passage into the third flow passage, the third flow passage in flow communication with the air outlet of the plenum.

2 more elements

An air curtain admission assembly operatively associated with an opening for establishing an air curtain across the opening, said air curtain admission assembly comprising:

a housing having a top wall and a perimeter wall, an air inlet and an air outlet, said housing defining a plenum opening to and extending between said air inlet and said air outlet;
a first flow baffle disposed within said plenum and dividing said plenum into a first flow passage and a second flow passage, said second flow passage having an inlet interfacing in flow communication with an outlet of said first flow passage, said first flow passage in flow communication with the air inlet to said plenum and said second flow passage in flow communication with the air outlet of said plenum;
and
an air mover operative to direct air from externally of said housing through the air inlet to said plenum, thence through said first flow passage, thence through said second flow passage and out of the air outlet to said plenum generally across the opening, the flow of air through said plenum substantially reversing direction when passing from said first flow passage to said second flow passage;
and
a second flow baffle disposed in said plenum and establishing a third flow passage in said plenum beneath a forward end of said second flow passage, said third flow passage in flow communication with said second flow passage and the air outlet of said plenum, the flow of air through said plenum substantially reversing direction when passing from said second flow passage to said first flow passage.

3 more elements

A refrigerated merchandiser comprising:

a housing defining a product display region having an opening providing access to the product display region;
an air curtain admission assembly operatively associated with said housing, said air curtain admission assembly defining a plenum opening to and extending between an air inlet and an air outlet;
a flow baffle disposed within said plenum and dividing said plenum into a first flow passage and a second flow passage, said second flow passage having an inlet interfacing in flow communication with an outlet of said first flow passage, said first flow passage in flow communication with the air inlet to said plenum and said second flow passage in flow communication with the air outlet of said plenum;
and
an air mover operatively associated with said air curtain admission assembly, the air mover operative to direct air from externally of said housing through the air inlet to said plenum, thence through said first flow passage, thence through said second flow passage and out of the air outlet to said plenum generally across the opening to the product display region, the flow of air through said plenum substantially reversing direction when passing from said first flow passage to said second flow passage;
and
a second flow baffle disposed in said plenum and establishing a third flow passage in said plenum beneath a forward end of said second flow passage whereby the air flow passing through said second flow passage turns through an angle of at least 90 degrees when passing from said second flow passage into said third flow passage, said third flow passage in flow communication with the air outlet of said plenum.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

patentgrep

Loading patent…

Abstract

A refrigerated merchandiser comprising:

a first housing defining a product display region having an open-front viewing area, said first housing having a first top wall;
an air curtain admission assembly operatively associated with said first housing, said air curtain admission assembly including a second housing disposed above said first top wall of said first housing, said second housing having a second top wall and a perimeter wall, an air inlet and an air outlet, said second housing defining a plenum opening to and extending between said air inlet and said air outlet;
a flow baffle disposed within said plenum and above said first top wall of said first housing, said flow baffle dividing said plenum into a first flow passage and a second flow passage above said first top wall of said first housing, said second flow passage having an inlet interfacing in flow communication with an outlet of said first flow passage, said first flow passage in flow communication with the air inlet to said plenum and said second flow passage in flow communication with the air outlet of said plenum;
and an air mover operatively associated with said air curtain admission assembly, the air mover operative to direct air from externally of said second housing through the air inlet to said plenum, thence through said first flow passage, thence through said second flow passage and out of the air outlet to said plenum generally across the open front viewing area of the product display region, the flow of air through said plenum substantially reversing direction when passing from said first flow passage to said second flow passage;
—further comprising a second flow baffle disposed in said plenum and establishing a third flow passage in said plenum beneath a forward end of the second flow passage whereby the air flow passing through the second flow passage turns through an angle of at least 90 degrees when passing from the second flow passage into the third flow passage, the third flow passage in flow communication with the air outlet of the plenum.

2 more elements