The application relates to a merchandiser including a fan apparatus that creates an even air flow distribution.
Generally, refrigerated display case merchandisers use forced air convention systems designed with a heat exchanger assembly that includes one or more evaporator coils and one or more fans positioned in a plenum. The fans force a certain volume of air over the coil to achieve desired cooling through natural convection. Cooled air is directed through one or more air passageways in the merchandiser to provide cooling to a product display area.
In one embodiment, a heat exchanger for a refrigerated merchandiser includes a fan housing having a first section with a first open outlet and a second section with a second open outlet. A first fan is positioned in the first section and configured to create a first airflow through the first open outlet. A second fan is positioned in the second section and configured to create a second airflow through the second open outlet. An evaporator is in fluid communication with the first open outlet and second open outlet. The first section is asymmetrical about a first section central axis and the second section is asymmetrical about a second section central axis.
In another embodiment, a heat exchanger for a refrigerated merchandiser includes a fan housing having an open outlet. A first fan is positioned in the fan housing and configured to create a first airflow through the open outlet. A second fan is positioned in the fan housing and configured to create a second airflow through the open outlet. An evaporator is in fluid communication with the open outlet. The fan housing is asymmetrical about a housing central axis.
In another embodiment, a heat exchanger for a refrigerated merchandiser includes a fan housing first section and a fan housing second section. The fan housing first section has a first rear wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, and a first open outlet. The fan housing second section has a second rear wall, a third side wall, a fourth side wall, and a second open outlet. A first fan is positioned in the first section and configured to create a first airflow through the first open outlet. A second fan is positioned in the second section and configured to create a second airflow through the second open outlet. An evaporator is in fluid communication with the first open outlet and second open outlet. The first side wall intersects the first rear wall at a first angle. The second side wall intersects the first rear wall at a second angle that is different than the first angle A1. The first side wall intersects the first open outlet at a third angle complimentary to the first angle. The second side wall intersects the first open outlet at a fourth angle complimentary to the second angle.
In another embodiment, a refrigerated merchandiser includes a case defining a product display area and includes a base and an air passageway to direct air to the product display area. A heat exchanger is configured to cool the air directed to the product display area. The heat exchanger includes a fan housing having a first section with a first open outlet and a second section with a second open outlet. A first fan is positioned in the first section and configured to create a first airflow through the first open outlet. A second fan is positioned in the second section and configured to create a second airflow through the second open outlet. An evaporator is in fluid communication with the first open outlet and second open outlet. The first section is asymmetrical about a first section central axis and the second section is asymmetrical about a second section central axis.
In another embodiment, a refrigerated merchandiser includes a case defining a product display area and includes a base and an air passageway to direct air to the product display area. A heat exchanger is configured to cool the air directed to the product display area. The heat exchanger includes a fan housing having an open outlet. A first fan is positioned in the fan housing and configured to create a first airflow through the open outlet. A second fan is positioned in the fan housing and configured to create a second airflow through the open outlet. An evaporator is in fluid communication with the open outlet. The fan housing is asymmetrical about a housing central axis.
In another embodiment, a refrigerated merchandiser includes a case defining a product display area and includes a base and an air passageway to direct air to the product display area. A heat exchanger is configured to cool the air directed to the product display area. The heat exchanger includes fan housing first section and a fan housing second section. The fan housing first section has a first rear wall, a first side wall, a second side wall, and a first open outlet. The fan housing second section has a second rear wall, a third side wall, a fourth side wall, and a second open outlet. A first fan is positioned in the first section and configured to create a first airflow through the first open outlet. A second fan is positioned in the second section and configured to create a second airflow through the second open outlet. An evaporator is in fluid communication with the first open outlet and second open outlet. The first side wall intersects the first rear wall at a first angle. The second side wall intersects the first rear wall at a second angle that is different than the first angle. The first side wall intersects the first open outlet at a third angle complimentary to the first angle. The second side wall intersects the first open outlet at a fourth angle complimentary to the second angle.
Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. As used herein and in the appended claims, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “back”, and other directional terms are not intended to require any particular orientation, but are instead used for purposes of description only.
The base 104 defines a lower portion 130 of the product display area 116 and can support a portion of the food product in the case 110. The base 104 further defines a lower flue 134 and includes an inlet 138 located adjacent the opening 120. As illustrated, the lower flue 134 is in fluid communication with the inlet 138 and conducts airflow 144 substantially horizontally through the base 104 from the inlet 138. The inlet 138 is positioned to receive surrounding air in a substantially vertical direction to direct it into the lower flue 134. The case 110 includes a primary rear flue 148 and a secondary rear flue 150 extending upward from the base 104 and in fluid communication with the lower flue 134. The primary rear flue 148 directs a first airflow 152 through the case 110 to a primary outlet 158. The secondary rear flue 150 directs a secondary airflow 154 through the case 110 to a secondary outlet 160. In some constructions, the rear wall 108 can include apertures (not shown) that fluidly couple the primary rear flue 148 with the product display area 116 to permit at least some of the primary airflow 152 to enter the product display area 116.
The lower flue 134 and the primary rear flue 148 are fluidly coupled to each other to define a primary air passageway that directs a portion of the airflow 144 (i.e., the primary airflow 152) from the inlet 138 to the primary outlet 158. The lower flue 134 and the secondary rear flue 150 are fluidly coupled to each other to define a secondary air passageway that directs the remaining portion of the airflow 144 (i.e., the secondary airflow 154) from the inlet 138 to the secondary outlet 160.
The outlet 220 of the fan housing 208 is in communication with an evaporator assembly 230. The evaporator assembly 230 includes one or more evaporator coils 232 positioned in an evaporator support 234. The support 234 is shown in
During operation, the fans 204, 206 rotate in a single direction, for example counter-clockwise in the view shown in
The first housing section 308A is asymmetrical about a first section central axis X2 extending through the housing section 308A in the direction of the airflow exiting the outlet 320A. The second housing section 308B is asymmetrical about a second section central axis X3 extending through the housing section 308B in the direction of the airflow exiting the outlet 320B. The first and second section central axes X2, X3 are shown extend approximately through the center of the respective fans 304, 306, although the housing sections 308A, 308B will be asymmetric about any point. The combined fan housing is also asymmetrical about a housing central axis X4 extending in the direction of the airflow exiting the outlets 320A, 320B. Although depicted as asymmetrical about these specific central axes, the housing sections 308A, 308B and the combined housing may also be configured as asymmetrical about central axes in other planes.
The outlets 320A, 320B of the fan housing sections 308A, 308B are in communication with an evaporator assembly 330. The evaporator assembly 330 includes one or more evaporator coils 332 positioned in an evaporator support 334. The support 334 is shown in
Even when the first and second fans 304, 306 rotate in the same direction, the asymmetric nature of the housing 308 and/or the housing sections 308A, 308B creates a more even airflow velocity through the outlets 320A, 320B of the housing 308. This reduces or eliminates the thermal bias, and results in more even cooling during refrigeration cycle and also more even clearing of the evaporator coil during defrost cycles.
Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/US2018/024329 | 3/26/2018 | WO |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2019/190457 | 10/3/2019 | WO | A |
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International Search Report and Written Opinion for Application No. PCT/US2018/024329 dated Jan. 2, 2019 (10 pages). |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20210085099 A1 | Mar 2021 | US |