A refrigerated display case includes a housing surrounding multiple shelves. An air distribution gap is defined behind the shelves. An air return passage is defined below the shelves. A radial cross-flow fan is disposed in a fan region of the air return passage. The radial cross-flow fan includes an output connected to the air distribution gap. A primary cooling microchannel heat exchanger is disposed in the fan region downstream of the radial cross-flow fan such that air output from the radial cross-flow fan to the air distribution gap passes through the primary cooling microchannel heat exchanger. A pre-cooler microchannel heat exchanger is disposed upstream of the primary cooling microchannel heat exchanger.

A refrigerated merchandiser including a case defining a product display area and including an air inlet and an air outlet in communication with the product display area to form an air curtain across a front of the product display area. The refrigerated merchandiser also includes a shelf that is coupled to the case within the product display area. The shelf includes insulation between a top and a bottom of the shelf, and a passive heat exchanger that has a heat pipe embedded in the shelf within the insulation and that extends from a front of the shelf to a back of the shelf. Ambient air infiltrating the air curtain initiates passive heat transfer within the plurality of heat tubes.

A shelf for a refrigerator is provided, the shelf comprising: a first surface for receiving items when the shelf is in use; the first surface being spaced apart from a second surface to form a duct between the first and second surfaces; wherein the duct allows fluid communication between an air inlet and an air outlet, the duct being flared to form the air inlet such that the cross sectional area of the air inlet is larger than that of the duct.

A flow control device for controlling an air curtain formed across a display area of a refrigerated display case, the flow control device comprising: a stabilizing beam comprising an elongate outer cover and a carrier; wherein the outer cover forms a continuous boundary which defines a cavity extending along the length of the outer cover; wherein the carrier is slidably received within the cavity along the length of the outer cover; wherein the carrier is provided with a light source and wherein at least a portion of the outer cover is transparent or translucent such that light emitted by the light source is emitted from the outer cover to provide illumination.

A refrigerator with a refrigerated interior space can have an air curtain separating air in the refrigerated interior space from air exterior to refrigerator. The air curtain can be established by a fan that blows air though an air outlet towards a corresponding air inlet that recovers air from the air curtain for recirculation to the air outlet. A first weir screen can be positioned proximal to the exterior space and a second weir screen can be positioned distal to the exterior space. A channel can be formed between the first weir screen and the second weir screen for receiving air from the air curtain before it is recovered by the air inlet.

A ducted shelf for an open-fronted display unit employing air curtains. The shelf has a supply duct at a lower level communicating with a downwardly-facing forward discharge outlet and a return duct at an upper level communicating with an upwardly-facing forward return inlet. In front-to-back section through the shelf, a forward supply duct extension in front of the supply duct narrows forwardly above the discharge outlet and a forward return duct extension in front of the return duct reaches downwardly to the lower level of the shelf to lie forwardly of the supply duct. This beneficially reduces the thickness of the front of the shelf.

A refrigerated display unit having an open-fronted cabinet providing a product display space accessible through an access opening provided by the open front. Cooling means produces cold air to refrigerate items in the product display space. A cold air curtain is provided across the access opening using a forwardly-positioned discharge outlet communicating with a supply duct and a forwardly-positioned return inlet in communication with a return duct receiving air from the air curtain. The air curtain is substantially unsupported by the any supplementary cooling airflow supplied into the product display space separately from the air curtain.

A refrigerated merchandiser including a case that defines a product display area and an access opening. The case has an air inlet and an air outlet, and a passageway fluidly connects the air inlet with the air outlet to direct a refrigerated airflow across the customer access opening in the form of an air curtain. The merchandiser also includes shelves that are coupled to the case. Each shelf includes an inlet, an outlet, a fan unit disposed in the shelf, and a heat exchanger. The fan unit is in communication with the passageway to draw air through the inlet to direct a portion of the airflow through the shelf toward the outlet. The heat exchanger is disposed in the shelf to cool the airflow in the shelf to provide independent zone cooling to a predetermined region of the product display area.

A bracket for attaching an air curtain guide to a refrigerator shelf, the bracket comprising: a first end having a surface for engagement with an edge of a refrigerator shelf; a second end for coupling to an air curtain guide; wherein the first end is connected to the second end by a continuous member, such that the first end is offset from the second end in a first direction.

Systems and methods are disclosed herein that include providing a cooler with a supply duct, a plurality of shelf plenums connected in fluid communication with the supply duct, and a return duct to implement precise temperature control over an internal cooling space of the cooler. Each of the shelf plenums may include openings disposed in a top surface of each shelf plenum. A supply airflow generated by a fan of a refrigeration system may pass the supply airflow through the supply duct to each of the plurality of shelf plenums, where the supply airflow may exit the shelf plenums through the openings in each shelf plenum to directly contact beverages and/or food products disposed on the top surface of the shelf plenums. The cooler may be further operated to supercool liquid beverages below a freezing point of the beverages without causing solidification and/or crystallization of the beverages.