Abstract
An open display refrigerator comprising: a refrigerated storage space, air in the refrigerated storage space being separated from air exterior to the open display refrigerator by an air curtain established by a fan which blows air towards an air outlet, air in the air curtain being recovered by an air inlet which recirculates the air from the air curtain into an air duct coupled to the air outlet; the at least one shelf having a riser attached to the shelf; and an air curtain guide coupled to the riser, the air curtain guide for guiding the flow of air within the air curtain.
Claims
1. An open display refrigerator, comprising: a housing defining a refrigerated storage space; a fan configured to establish an air curtain that separates the refrigerated storage space from an exterior of the housing; an air inlet configured to recover air from the air curtain such that the air can be recirculated into an air duct; an air outlet coupled to the air duct; a shelf; a riser attached to the shelf; and an air curtain guide coupled to the riser, the air curtain guide configured to guide a flow of air within the air curtain.
2. A cooling unit comprising: a housing defining an interior space that includes (i) a refrigerated storage space and (ii) an access space; a fan configured to establish an air curtain that separates air in the refrigerated storage space from air in the access space; an air inlet configured to recover air from the air curtain such that the air can be recirculated into an air duct; an air outlet coupled to the air duct; a door, that separates the interior space from air external to the housing; a shelf; a riser attached to the shelf; and an air curtain guide coupled to the riser, the air curtain guide configured to guide a flow of air within the air curtain.
3. The open display refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the shelf has a front edge parallel to the air curtain.
4. The open display refrigerator of claim 3, wherein the shelf is at an angle relative to horizontal, such that the front edge of the shelf is lower than a back edge of the shelf.
5. The open display refrigerator of claim 4, wherein the angle of the shelf is 10°.
6. The open display refrigerator of claim 4, wherein the angle of the shelf is 15°.
7. The open display refrigerator of claim 4, wherein the angle of the shelf is 20°.
8. The open display refrigerator of claim 4, wherein the riser is vertical, such that an acute angle is formed between the front edge of the shelf and a portion of the riser that extends vertically from the front edge of the shelf.
9. The open display refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the air curtain guide and the riser are monolithically formed.
10. The open display refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the air guide is removably attached to the riser.
11. The open display refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the air guide is attached to the riser by one or more brackets.
12. The open display refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the air curtain guide is an aerofoil.
13. The open display refrigerator of claim 4, when dependent on claim 3, wherein the riser is attached to the front edge of the shelf.
14. The open display refrigerator of claim 1, wherein the shelf includes a slot configured to receive the riser.
15. The open display refrigerator, of claim 1, wherein the riser includes a transparent portion.
16. (canceled)
17. A riser for use with an open display refrigerator or a cooling unit, wherein the riser comprises an integral air curtain guide.
18. The riser of claim 17, wherein the riser comprises an acute angle.
19. The riser of claim 17, wherein the air curtain guide is an aerofoil.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0031] Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0032] FIG. 1 shows a cross-section through an angled refrigerator shelf with an angled riser attached to the angled refrigerator shelf and an air guide attached to the angled riser.
[0033] FIG. 2 shows two angled refrigerator shelves with angled risers attached to the angled refrigerator shelves and air guides attached to the angled risers.
[0034] FIG. 3 shows an open air refrigerator with angled refrigerator shelves with angled risers attached to the angled refrigerator shelves and air guides attached to the angled risers.
[0035] FIG. 4 shows the impact of an embodiment of the present invention on the field of view of a user using a refrigerator.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0036] FIG. 1 shows a cross-section through an angled refrigerator shelf 1a. The shelf 1a has an angled riser 2a attached to an edge of the shelf 1a. An air guide 3a is attached to the angled riser 2a by a bracket 4a. An acute angle is formed between the riser 2a and the edge of the shelf 1a, causing the riser 2a to extend substantially vertically with respect to the ground. In use, the riser 2a prevents products from sliding off of the edge of the angled shelf 1a. The bracket 4a may be formed separately to the air guide 3a and the shelf 1a, with the air guide 3a being attached to a first end of the bracket 4a and the second end of the bracket 4a being attached to the riser 2a. The air guide 3a may be configured to be mounted on the riser 2a. For example, the air guide 3a may be removably attached to the riser 2a via the bracket 4a. Alternatively the air guide 3a may be fixedly attached to the riser 2a via the bracket 4a. In a different alternative, the riser 2a, the bracket 4a and the air guide 3a may be integrally formed, such that they are formed from the same piece of material. The riser 2a is usually made of a transparent material, such as Perspex®, but can be made of any metallic, plastic-based or any other suitable material (or a mix of materials). Likewise, the bracket 4a and the air guide 3a may be made of any metallic, plastic-based or any other suitable material (or a mix of materials).
[0037] FIG. 2 shows an arrangement of two angled refrigerator shelves 1a, 1b, with angled risers 2a, 2b attached to the angled refrigerator shelves 1a, 1a and air guides 3a, 3b attached to the angled risers 2a, 2b, as discussed with respect to FIG. 1, but with the addition of an optional ticket strip 5a, 5b extending downwards from the edge of each of the shelves 1a, 1b.
[0038] FIG. 3 shows a cross-section through an open display refrigerator 6. The refrigerator 6 has a storage space that is maintained at a lower than ambient temperature. Within the storage space, there are four angled storage shelves 1a (only one of which is labelled) as discussed with respect to FIG. 2. Different embodiments may have one, two, three, five or any number of storage shelves. A typical angle of incline for the angled storage shelves is 20°. Other angles include 10° and 15°; however, shelves at other angles may be used as long as the product does not slide off of the shelves. In use, the refrigerator 6 establishes an air curtain (not shown) by a fan which blows cold air towards an air outlet 7, out of the air outlet 7 and towards an air inlet 8. Air inlet 8 recovers air from the air curtain and a fan within the refrigerator recirculates the air to the air outlet 7. A cooling unit or heat exchanger within the refrigerator 6 maintains the recirculated air (and hence the air blown through the air outlet 7 to form the air curtain at a desired temperature. The desired temperature may be chosen to be lower than the ambient temperature and acts to prevent cold air in the storage space from mixing with warm air exterior to the refrigerator. As before, the angled shelves 1a have angled risers 2a attached to the angled refrigerator shelves 1a and air guides 3a attached to the angled risers 2a as discussed with respect to FIG. 1. The shelves 1a also have an optional ticket strip 5a extending downwards from the edge of each of the shelves 1a.
[0039] FIG. 4 shows a solution, as provided by the present invention, to the problem associated with attaching air guides to the edges of angled shelves in a refrigerator. As discussed with respect to FIG. 3, a cross-section through an open display refrigerator 6 is shown. As before, the refrigerator 6 has four angled shelves 1a (only one of which is labelled) with angled risers 2a attached to the angled refrigerator shelves 1a and air guides 3a attached to the angled risers 2a. A user of the refrigerator 6 is shown, with their line-of-sight shown by area 9. As can be seen, by raising the air guide 3a from the edge of the shelf and onto the riser 2a, it is easier for a user to view products on the angled shelf 1a below an air guide 3a due to the increase in space between the lower edge of the air guide 3a and the top surface of the shelf 1a below the air guide 3a. If the air guide 3a was attached to the edge of the shelf 1a, then the line-of-sight of a user would be impeded.
