The present invention relates generally air curtain admission assemblies and to refrigerated display merchandisers of the type used in supermarkets, mini-marts, convenience stores and other commercial establishments for displaying and merchandising refrigerated or frozen products for sale. More particularly, the present invention relates to open refrigerated display merchandisers of the type wherein a multi-layer air barrier is formed to separate the cold refrigerated air within the display region of the merchandiser from exposure to the ambient air outside the merchandiser by passing a plurality of air streams across the open product display region of the merchandiser.
Refrigerated display merchandisers, also commonly referred to as display cases, having open display regions are commonly used in supermarkets, mini-marts, convenience stores and other commercial establishments for displaying and merchandising refrigerated or frozen products for sale. The open nature of such display cases permits the consumer to simply reach into the product display region to select and remove a product for purchase without the inconvenience of needing to open a door to access the product. Customarily, in open front display cases, at least a single curtain of cold refrigerated air is passed downwardly at a relatively high velocity across the open front of the display case to form an invisible barrier between the product display region and the region of the store in front of the display case. This air curtain not only helps retain cool refrigerated air within the product display region of the display case, thereby cooling the display product on the shelves of the display case, but also functions to isolate, to a certain extent, the product display region from the ambient air within the store. Ambient air that does enter into open product display region undesirably causes increased energy consumption by increasing the cooling demand on the refrigeration system associated with the display case. Further, such ambient air may also cause a local temperature rise within the product display region sufficient to result in an undesirable rise in product temperature that could adversely impact upon product quality.
A problem encountered with when passing a curtain of refrigerated air downwardly across the open front of the product display region of the display case lies in the entrainment of ambient air into the stream of refrigerated air forming the air curtain. Turbulence exists at the boundary between the relatively high velocity curtain air and the generally quiescent ambient air lying in front of the display case. As a result of such turbulence, some ambient air is undesirably entrained into the air curtain.
Multiple air curtain display cases have been developed in the prior art to address this entrainment problem. For example, display cases having two adjacent, parallel, but independently generated, air curtains of refrigerated air are common in the art. Typically, such as disclosed by Maehara in U.S. Pat. No. 4,633,677, the outermost air curtain has a slightly higher temperature than the innermost air curtain, so as to protect the colder innermost air curtain from the impact of ambient air entrainment.
Also, it is well known in the art to establish a third air curtain of relatively high temperature ambient air outwardly of one or two refrigerated air curtains as a means of reducing entrainment of ambient air from the store into the refrigerated air curtains. Abraham, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,706, Brown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,812,684, and MacMaster et al in U.S. Pat. No. 3,517,526, each disclose establishing an ambient air curtain outwardly of an innermost refrigerated air curtain, with the outer ambient air curtain being directed downwardly parallel to and adjacent to the inner refrigerated air curtain. Beckwith et al, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,648,482; 3,850,003 and 3,937,033; MacMaster et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,254 and Roberts, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,345,778 and 5,357,767, each disclose establishing an ambient air curtain outwardly of a pair of refrigerated air curtains. The curtain closest the product display region of the display case is coolest, while the center curtain is at a temperature slightly warmer than the innermost curtain, but substantially cooler than the outermost ambient air curtain. The center curtain of warmer refrigerated air serves to buffer the innermost colder refrigerated air curtain from warm air intrusion from the outermost ambient air curtain. The outermost curtain of ambient air is directed substantially vertically downwardly, either parallel to and adjacent the center air curtain or slightly inwardly toward the center air curtain, so as to preclude refrigerated air from the center and innermost refrigerated air curtains from spilling out of the product display region of the display case. The outermost ambient air curtain itself ideally spills into the store near the base of the display case so as to not be drawn into the air return inlets through which the refrigerated air curtains return to the evaporator compartment.
In conventional practice, the ambient air curtain is established by drawing ambient air by means of one or more fans from the store environment into a plenum located in the forward portion of the top wall of the display cabinet of the merchandiser. Then ambient air discharges from the plenum through a grid to form the air curtain. The grid serves to direct the ambient air curtain along a desired path to the outside of one or more inner curtain of cooler refrigerated air. Conventionally, the inlet duct to the plenum through which the ambient air is drawn forms a relatively short and relatively direct path through the top wall of the display cabinet. A shortcoming of an admission assembly of this type lies in the tendency of the air flow discharging through the grid to be non-uniform along the length of the display case. The resultant non-uniformity in the air curtain degrades the overall effectiveness and performance of the air curtain. Thus, although generally effective to substantially reduce the amount of entrainment of ambient air into the recycled refrigerated air as compared to a single air curtain design, significant improvement in overall air curtain effectiveness can be achieved by providing an improved ambient air admission assembly that ensures a generally uniform flow distribution in the resultant air curtain along the length of the display case.
It is an object of the invention to provide an air curtain admission assembly through which a generally more uniform flow distribution is ensured in establishing an air curtain across an opening.
It is an object of another aspect of the invention to provide a refrigerated merchandiser having an open product display region and equipped with an air curtain admission assembly through which a generally more uniform flow distribution is ensured in establishing an air curtain across the open product display region.
An air curtain admission assembly of the invention includes an air inlet and an air outlet and defines a plenum opening to and extending between the air inlet and the air outlet. A flow baffle is disposed within the plenum to divide the plenum into a first flow passage and a second flow passage, the second flow passage having an inlet interfacing in flow communication with an outlet of the first flow passage. The first flow passage is in flow communication with the air inlet to the plenum and the second flow passage is in flow communication with the air outlet of the plenum. An air mover operatively associated with the air curtain admission assembly directs air from externally of the housing through the air inlet to the plenum, thence through the first flow passage, thence through the second flow passage and out of the air outlet to pass generally across an opening located externally adjacent the outlet to the air curtain admission assembly. In accord with the invention, the flow of air through the plenum substantially reverses direction when passing from the first flow passage to the second flow passage. A perforated flow baffle may be disposed in the plenum at the interface of the outlet of the first flow passage with the inlet of the second flow passage. A perforated flow baffle may be disposed in the air outlet of said plenum. Either perforated flow baffle may be a slotted plate.
In a further embodiment of the air curtain admission assembly a third flow passage is established in the 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. In this embodiment, the third flow passage in flow communication with the air outlet of the plenum. A second flow baffle having a flow blocking portion may be disposed in the plenum to establish the third flow passage and cause the air flowing from the second flow passage into the third flow passage to substantially reverse flow direction. The second flow baffle may include a perforated member through which air flow must pass into the third flow passage. In an embodiment, the perforated member is an egg-crate member defining a plurality of flow channels through which air flow may pass to enter the third flow passage.
In a further aspect of the invention, a refrigerated merchandiser is provided equipped with an improved air admission assembly. In one embodiment, the refrigerated merchandiser of the present invention includes an improved curtain air admission assembly through which a generally uniform flow distribution is ensured in the ambient air curtain along the length of the open front viewing area of the display case. In a preferred embodiment, the curtain air admission assembly includes a housing having a top wall and a perimeter wall, an air inlet and an air outlet, and defines a plenum opening to and extending between said air inlet and said air outlet. A flow baffle divides the plenum into a first flow passage and a second flow passage, with the second flow passage having an inlet interfacing in flow communication with an outlet of the first flow passage. The air inlet to the plenum opens to the first flow passage and the air outlet of the plenum communicates in flow communication with the second flow passage. One or more air movers, operatively associated with the air curtain admission assembly, directs air from externally of through the air inlet of the plenum, thence through the first flow passage, thence through the second flow passage and out of the air outlet to the plenum generally downwardly across the open front viewing area of the product display region. The flow of air through the plenum substantially reverses direction when passing from the first flow passage to the second flow passage. This reversal of flow direction serves to distribute the air flow more uniformly along the length of the display case.
In a further aspect of the invention, a refrigerated merchandiser includes a housing defining a product display region having an opening providing access to the product display region and an air curtain admission assembly operatively associated with the housing. The air curtain admission assembly defines a plenum opening to and extending between the air inlet and the air outlet. A flow baffle is disposed within said plenum to divide the plenum into a first flow passage and a second flow passage. The second flow passage has an inlet interfacing in flow communication with an outlet of the first flow passage. The first flow passage opens in flow communication with the air inlet to the plenum and the second flow passage opens in flow communication with the air outlet of the plenum. An air mover operatively associated with said air curtain admission assembly directs air from externally of the air admission assembly through the air inlet to the plenum, thence through the first flow passage, thence through the second flow passage and out of the air outlet to the plenum generally across the opening to the product display region thereby establishing an air curtain across the opening. The flow of air through the plenum substantially reverses direction when passing from the first flow passage to the second flow passage. In a further embodiment, the refrigerated merchandiser includes an air curtain admission assembly having a third flow passage established in the plenum beneath a forward end of the second flow passage. 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, thus creating an additional reversal in flow direction. In this embodiment, the third flow passage in flow communication with the air outlet of the plenum. In another embodiment of the refrigerated merchandiser, the housing of the merchandiser includes a first air outlet and a second air outlet. The first air outlet directs a flow of air along a first path generally across the opening to the product display region. The second air outlet communicates in flow communication with the outlet of the air admission assembly plenum and directs air passing out of the plenum along a second path generally across the opening. The first and second paths may be parallel or may diverge.
Referring now to
Perishable product being merchandized may be displayed on shelves 18 disposed within the product display region 30 and upon the upper surface of the bottom panel 24. The product display region 30 has an open front 25 so as to permit consumers to not only view product, but also reach into the product display region 30 to select and remove items of product that they desire to purchase. Product display region 30 is cooled in a conventional manner to a desired product temperature, typically to a temperature between −10° F. to less than about 40° F., depending upon what product is being merchandised therein and whether the product is frozen or non-frozen.
The refrigerated merchandiser 10 further includes a refrigeration compartment 40, typically disposed in the portion of the display cabinet 12 between the base 13 and the bottom panel 24, as depicted in
As in conventional practice, refrigerant passing through the tubes of the evaporator 50 cools air passing over the surface of the evaporator tubes under the influence of air mover 60. The refrigerant is typically supplied from a remote refrigeration unit located elsewhere within the store. However, it is to be understood that the present invention may also be employed on stand-alone refrigerated merchandisers that include their own refrigeration unit for providing the cold refrigerant.
An air circulation duct 32 is formed between the rear wall 14 and the top wall 15 of the outer cabinet 12 and the back panel 26 and top panel 28, respectively, of the inner cabinet liner 20. Air mover 60 serves to direct air from air inlet 42 through the compartment 40 so as to traverse evaporator 50, and thence through duct 32 to refrigerated air outlet 34. As noted before, this circulating air has been cooled to a desired temperature as it traverses the evaporator 50. From air outlet 34, the cool refrigeration air is directed via a gird of vanes 35 disposed within the air outlet 34 downwardly along first path 45 toward air inlet 42 to form an inner air curtain 55 across the open front 25 of the product display region 25. To converse energy expended in cooling the refrigeration air, the refrigerating air passing through the air inlet 42 is recycled and repeatedly recirculated through the compartment 40 and duct 32 back into and through the refrigerated product display region 30. Further, through the afore-described cooling arrangement, a cool air curtain 55 is formed across the open-front product display region 30 from top to bottom thereof. To provide further cooling air directly to the product display region 30, as in conventional practice, a plurality of openings 27 may be provided at selected locations in the back panel 26 through which a portion of cold refrigerating air circulating through duct 32 may pass directly into the product display region 30. This refrigerated air will also be drawn by the air mover 60 back through the air inlet 42 into the compartment 40 to be recirculated.
In the depicted refrigerated merchandiser 10, a second air outlet 70 is provided outwardly of the refrigerated air outlet 34 at the top front of the cabinet 12. The second air outlet 70 includes a gird of vanes 72 that serve to direct relatively warmer air, for example ambient air, generally downwardly along a second path 75 lying outwardly of the first path 45 followed by the cool refrigerating air. In this manner, a relatively warm outer air curtain 65 is formed outside, i.e. further away from the product display region 30, of the relatively cool inner air curtain 55. The relatively warm outer air curtain 65 serves as a buffer between the relatively cool inner air curtain 55 and the ambient environment of the store. Further, when the outer air curtain 65 reaches the base region of the display cabinet 12, it spills outwardly into the store rather than into the air inlet 42 in the forward end of the base portion of the cabinet. Consequently, the entrainment of warm air into the relatively cool inner air curtain and subsequent passage through inlet 42 into the compartment 40 is minimized, thereby reducing energy consumption in cooling the recirculating refrigeration air. The outer air curtain 65 may be directed, as in conventional practice, along a second path 75 that is generally parallel to the first path 45 along which the inner air curtain 55 is directed. Alternatively, the outer curtain 65 may be directed along a second path 75 that diverges outwardly away from the first path 45, along which the inner air curtain 55 is directed, at an angle of diverge within a desired range, such as, for example, within the range of about 5 degrees to about 50 degrees, as disclosed in commonly assigned, U.S. Pat. No. 6,722,149, to Saroka et al., the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. It is to be understood, however, that the angular relationship between the first and second paths is a matter of choice and not limiting of the application of the curtain air admission assembly of the present invention.
The curtain air admission assembly 100 of the present invention comprises a housing 102 disposed atop the refrigerated merchandiser 10. The housing 102 may preferably be mounted to the top wall 15 of the refrigerated merchandiser 10 with the forward portion of the housing 102 extending beyond the forward end 17 of the top wall 15 of the merchandiser 10. Referring now in particular to
In either construction, a flow baffle 112 is disposed within the plenum 110 to partition the plenum 110 into a first flow passage 105 and a second flow passage 107. The housing 102 further includes an air inlet 103 opening to the plenum 110 through which air from externally of the housing 102 may pass into the plenum 110 and also an air outlet 109 from the plenum 110 through which air may pass from the plenum. The first flow passage 105 is in flow communication at its inlet end with the air inlet 103 and the second flow passage 107 is in flow communication at its outlet end with the air outlet 109. Further, the first air flow passage 105 has its outlet interfacing in fluid communication with the inlet of the second flow passage 107.
An air mover 80, operatively associated with the curtain air admission assembly 100, directs air from externally of the plenum 110 through the air inlet 103 of the plenum, thence through the first flow passage 105, thence through the second flow passage 107 and out of the air outlet 109 to the plenum 110 to discharge through the second air outlet 70 generally downwardly across the open front viewing area of the product display region 30. The air mover 80 may comprise one or more axial fans, as depicted in the drawings, depending upon the overall length of the refrigerated merchandiser 10. For example, in a refrigerated merchandiser having a length of twelve feet, the air mover 80 might comprise four fans disposed along the length of the refrigerated merchandiser 10 at spaced intervals. Advantageously, each air mover 80 may be a fan mounted in the air inlet 103 to the plenum 110 driven by a motor disposed within the plenum 110. However, the air mover 80 may be located externally of the plenum 110, for example upstream of the air inlet 103 in a duct supplying air to the plenum from a remote source. The air inlet 103 to the plenum 110 may be provided in the top wall 106 of the housing 102, as depicted in the drawings, or the air inlet 103 to the plenum 110 may be provided in a forward portion of the partition wall 108 so long as the air inlet 103 opens into the plenum 110.
As illustrated in
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring now to
It is to be understood that the aforementioned description is exemplary rather than limiting. Many modifications and variations of the present invention may be recognized by those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings that will fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Although the curtain air admission assembly has been disclosed in a preferred embodiment in connection with a refrigerated merchandiser, those skilled in the art may recognize other applications for the curtain air admission assembly of the present invention. Accordingly, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention as set forth in the following claims.
Reference is made to and this application claims priority from and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/614,954, filed Sep. 30, 2004, and entitled CURTAIN AIR ADMISSION ASSEMBLY, which application is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
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WO2006/039043 | 4/13/2006 | WO | A |
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