The invention relates to a grid voltage-operated refrigerating device, in particular an ultra-low-temperature refrigerating device, comprising a refrigerator door (2) which has a closure lever (22) that is pivotally hinged between an open position and a locked position and comprising locking means (24) which are paired with the closure lever, have an electric motor-actuated and/or electromagnetically actuated locking element (26) and lock or release the pivoting of the closure lever depending on a code actuation that can be entered by an operator using a code input unit (20). The locking means and the code input unit are paired with an electronic control unit (14) and grid voltage-independent battery buffering means (13) such that in response to a grid voltage outage, the code actuation and a release for a specified minimum period of time are made possible without a grid voltage supply. Display means (18), which are paired with the control unit and which are provided on the refrigerator door in particular, are designed to allow the current internal refrigerator temperature of the refrigerating device to be displayed in the event of a grid voltage outage at least over the specified minimum period of time.

The invention relates to a grid voltage-operated refrigerating device, in particular an ultra-low-temperature refrigerating device, comprising a refrigerator door (2) which has a closure lever (22) that is pivotally hinged between an open position and a locked position and comprising locking means (24) which are paired with the closure lever, have an electric motor-actuated and/or electromagnetically actuated locking element (26) and lock or release the pivoting of the closure lever depending on a code actuation that can be entered by an operator using a code input unit (20). The locking means and the code input unit are paired with an electronic control unit (14) and grid voltage-independent battery buffering means (13) such that in response to a grid voltage outage, the code actuation and a release for a specified minimum period of time are made possible without a grid voltage supply. Display means (18), which are paired with the control unit and which are provided on the refrigerator door in particular, are designed to allow the current internal refrigerator temperature of the refrigerating device to be displayed in the event of a grid voltage outage at least over the specified minimum period of time.

A refrigerator of the present invention includes a refrigeration system having a water-cooled condenser and a liquid line heat exchanger for additional cooling with the water, at a position upstream in the direction of flow of water from the cooling that occurs at the condenser. The use of water cooling at these two portions of the refrigeration system improves the energy efficiency of the refrigerator, while also significantly improving temperature responsiveness (e.g., reducing an amount of time necessary to pull down the temperature of a cooled space in the refrigerator to a desired set point temperature). The refrigerator may include one or a plurality of refrigeration stages, in various embodiments, and an additional sub-cooling heat exchanger may be provided in the refrigeration system downstream from the liquid line heat exchanger when the refrigerator includes multiple cascaded circuits.

A refrigerator of the present invention includes a refrigeration system having a water-cooled condenser and a liquid line heat exchanger for additional cooling with the water, at a position upstream in the direction of flow of water from the cooling that occurs at the condenser. The use of water cooling at these two portions of the refrigeration system improves the energy efficiency of the refrigerator, while also significantly improving temperature responsiveness (e.g., reducing an amount of time necessary to pull down the temperature of a cooled space in the refrigerator to a desired set point temperature). The refrigerator may include one or a plurality of refrigeration stages, in various embodiments, and an additional sub-cooling heat exchanger may be provided in the refrigeration system downstream from the liquid line heat exchanger when the refrigerator includes multiple cascaded circuits.

Provided are a refrigerator including an aerogel serving as an auxiliary insulation material and a manufacturing method thereof. The refrigerator includes a main body including an inner case constituting a storage compartment and an outer case disposed outside the inner case, a main insulation material disposed between the inner case and the outer case, and an aerogel coating layer formed on a rear surface of the inner case or a front surface of the outer case by coating a liquid-phase aerogel and curing the aerogel.

Provided are a refrigerator including an aerogel serving as an auxiliary insulation material and a manufacturing method thereof. The refrigerator includes a main body including an inner case constituting a storage compartment and an outer case disposed outside the inner case, a main insulation material disposed between the inner case and the outer case, and an aerogel coating layer formed on a rear surface of the inner case or a front surface of the outer case by coating a liquid-phase aerogel and curing the aerogel.

A merchandiser for storing a product for purchase by a customer is disclosed. The merchandiser includes a housing defining a cavity; a door coupled to the housing; a platform located in the cavity for holding the product; a load cell structured to measure a mass of the product; and a controller communicably coupled to the load cell. The controller is structured to unlock the door based on a validation of payment information of the customer, determine a weight of product removed during a transaction for the product, determine a type of the product removed from the ice merchandiser based on the determined weight, and determine an amount of currency required for the transaction for the product based on the determined type of product removed.

A merchandiser for storing a product for purchase by a customer is disclosed. The merchandiser includes a housing defining a cavity; a door coupled to the housing; a platform located in the cavity for holding the product; a load cell structured to measure a mass of the product; and a controller communicably coupled to the load cell. The controller is structured to unlock the door based on a validation of payment information of the customer, determine a weight of product removed during a transaction for the product, determine a type of the product removed from the ice merchandiser based on the determined weight, and determine an amount of currency required for the transaction for the product based on the determined type of product removed.

A refrigerator includes a main body in which a first storage compartment is defined, and a heat exchange chamber defined in the main body. An evaporator received in the heat exchange chamber. A second storage compartment is provided in the first storage compartment and a quick cooling module to cool an inside of the second storage compartment is provided, where the quick cooling module heat-exchanges with a refrigerant pipe of the evaporator. The quick cooling module includes a thermal conductive unit in thermal conduction with the refrigerant pipe, and a thermoelectric device having a first surface in thermal conduction with the thermal conductive unit to heat-exchange with the thermal conductive unit when current is supplied and a second surface facing the second storage compartment.

A merchandiser for storing a product for purchase by a customer is disclosed. The merchandiser includes a housing that defines a cavity for storing the product and a controller for facilitating a transaction for the product at the merchandiser. The controller is configured to: receive an input to initiate a transaction for the product, the input including a type and an amount of product to be purchased; unlock a door of the merchandiser to enable a removal of the product based on receiving the input; determine a completion of the transaction based on the door being in a close position for more than a preset amount of time; and charge the customer for the type and amount of product based on the completion of the transaction.