REFRIGERATING UNIT WITH A HEATING ARRANGEMENT

Abstract

A refrigerating unit including a compartment, a glass door, and a heating arrangement installed in a base profile of the compartment. The refrigerating unit including an elongated gasket profile having a proximal part and a distal part, wherein the proximal part includes a flexible element configured to allow the distal part to be displaced towards the base profile upon closing the glass door. The distal part includes a hollow part with a first side of the hollow part connected to the proximal part and a second side of the hollow part directed towards the glass door. The heating arrangement further includes a heat-conducting material enclosed by the hollow part and arranged with an outer side surface of the heat-conducting material abutting the second side of the hollow part, and a heating element enclosed by the hollow part and arranged for conductive heating of the heat-conducting material.

Claims

1. A refrigerating unit comprising: a glass door; a heating arrangement for modulating the temperature of an outer surface of the glass door of the refrigerating unit; a compartment provided with an opening enclosed by side profiles, wherein the glass door allows access through the opening, wherein the heating arrangement is configured to be installed in a base profile of the compartment, and comprises: an elongated gasket profile comprising a proximal part and a distal part, wherein the proximal part is arranged from the base profile to the distal part of the elongated gasket profile, and wherein the proximal part comprises at least one flexible element configured to allow the distal part to be displaced towards the base profile upon closing the glass door, wherein the distal part comprises at least one hollow part with a first side of the hollow part connected to the proximal part and an opposite second side of the hollow part comprising a contact surface directed towards the glass door; one or more first heat-conducting materials enclosed by the hollow part and arranged with an outer side surface of the one or more first heat conducting materials abutting the second side of the hollow part; and one or more heating elements enclosed by the at least one hollow part and arranged for conductive heating of the one or more first heat-conducting materials, wherein the second side of the at least one hollow part extends across the one or more heating elements so as to separate the one or more heating elements from the contact surface.

2. The refrigerating unit according to claim 1, wherein the glass door comprises an inner surface of the glass door configured to come into contact with the distal part of the refrigerating unit, when the glass door is closed, and wherein the inner surface of the glass door comprises a contact profile comprising a second heat-conducting material.

3. The refrigerating unit according to claim 2, wherein the contact profile encloses an insulating space for decreasing a conductive transfer of heat between an inner glass pane surface of the glass door and the one or more heating elements, wherein the insulating space is arranged above the second heat-conducting material.

4. The refrigerating unit according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerating unit comprises at least one permanent magnetic material connected to the glass door and wherein the refrigerating unit further comprises at least one ferromagnetic material enclosed by the at least one hollow part, wherein the at least one ferromagnetic material and the at least one permanent magnetic material are arranged in an opposing configuration such that a magnetic interaction between the at least one ferromagnetic material and the at least one permanent magnet aids in closing the glass door.

5. The refrigerating unit according to claim 13, wherein the one or more first heat-conducting materials comprises the at least one ferromagnetic material.

6. The refrigerating unit according to claim 1, wherein the one or more heating elements is at least partially embedded into the one or more first heat-conducting materials.

7. The refrigerating unit according to claim 4, further comprising a second heat-conducting material that comprises the at least one permanent magnetic material.

8. The refrigerating unit according to claim 13, wherein the at least one permanent magnetic material is a polymer-bonded magnetic material.

9. The refrigerating unit according to claim 1, wherein the refrigerating unit comprises a metal profile enclosed by the at least one hollow part of the distal part and arranged in abutment with the one or more first heat-conducting materials and the one or more heating elements.

10. The refrigerating unit according to claim 1, wherein the heating arrangement comprises a thermal switch mechanism for preventing overheating of the heating arrangement.

11. The refrigerating unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one hollow part provides a cavity for accommodating the one or more heating elements and the one or more first heat-conducting materials, wherein the cavity is fully enclosed by contiguous sides of the at least one hollow part in a transverse cross-section of the elongated gasket profile.

12. The refrigerating unit according to claim 1, wherein a collective transverse extent of the one or more first heat-conducting materials facing the second side of the at least one hollow part is of a size being substantially equal to a size of a transverse extent of an inner surface of the second side of the at least one hollow part, wherein the transverse extent of the inner surface of the second side of the at least one hollow part is measured in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal extent of the inner surface of the second side of the at least one hollow part.

13. The refrigerating unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one hollow part comprises at least one permanent magnetic material and wherein the glass door comprises at least one ferromagnetic material, where the at least one ferromagnetic material and the at least one permanent magnetic material are arranged in an opposing configuration, such that a magnetic interaction between the at least one ferromagnetic material and the at least one permanent material aids in closing the glass door.

14. The refrigerating unit according to claim 2, wherein the second heat-conducting material comprises a permanent magnetic material.

Description

DRAWING

[0064] Examples of the present disclosure will be described in the following with reference to the figures in which:

[0065] FIG. 1 shows a refrigerating unit according to embodiment(s) of the invention,

[0066] FIG. 2 shows a transverse cross-sectional view of the elongated gasket profile with heating elements, first heat-conducting material and metal profile according to embodiments of the invention,

[0067] FIG. 3 shows a transverse cross-sectional view of the refrigerating unit near the base profile,

[0068] FIG. 4 shows a first end of the heating arrangement showing an elongated gasket profile with heating elements, first heat-conducting material and metal profile according to embodiment(s) of the invention, seen in perspective,

[0069] FIG. 5 shows eating elements, first heat-conducting material and metal profile of FIG. 4, seen in perspective,

[0070] FIG. 6 shows a second end of the heating arrangement showing an elongated gasket profile with heating elements, first heat-conducting material and metal profile, as well as a thermal switch mechanism according to embodiment(s) of the invention, seen in perspective, and

[0071] FIG. 7 shows heating elements, first heat-conducting material, metal profile and thermal switch mechanism of FIG. 6, seen in perspective.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0072] FIG. 1 illustrates a refrigerating unit 1 according to embodiments of the invention, seen from the front of the refrigerating unit 1. The refrigerating unit 1 may be suitable for use in a supermarket or the like, as a showcase and refrigerator for food stuff. The present refrigerating unit 1 comprises a generally rectangular compartment 2 having a generally rectangular opening provided therein to allow access to the interior of the compartment 2, wherein the opening is defined by edges of one or more sidewalls of the compartment 2. A base profile 3 is connected to the compartment 2 at the bottom of the compartment 2 e.g. along an edge of a lowermost sidewall of the compartment 2, defining the lowermost boundary of the opening. In the present example, a plurality of glass doors 4 are pivotally connected to the compartment 2 and configured to be rotated about a substantially vertical axis between an open and closed configuration. The glass doors 4 of the present invention are operable through a handle attached to each glass door 4. The doors 4 are arranged so as to cover the opening of the compartment 2, while allowing the interior of the compartment 2 to be viewed through the glass pane(s) 5 of the glass door 4. In one or more examples, the refrigerating unit 1 may comprises a single compartment 2 and one or more glass doors 4 or the refrigerating unit 1 may comprise a plurality of compartments 2, and/or one or more glass doors 4.

[0073] FIG. 2-7 shows parts of a refrigerating unit 1 according to embodiments of the invention. The refrigerating unit 1 of the present examples is configured to be placed on a ground surface and having substantially vertically arranged glass doors 4, such as the refrigerating unit 1 shown in FIG. 1.

[0074] FIG. 2 shows a transverse cross-sectional view of an elongated gasket profile 11 according to an example of the invention, wherein the transverse cross sectional plane is arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the gasket profile 11. The present example of the gasket profile 11 is also shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6. The gasket profile 11 may preferably be installed with the longitudinal extent of the gasket profile 11 arranged along the bottom of the compartment 2, connected to the base profile 3. The longitudinal extent of the gasket profile 11 may extent along the bottom edge of the glass door 4 or the collective longitudinal extent of the bottom edges of more than one glass door 4 of the refrigerating unit 1.

[0075] The gasket profile 11 in FIG. 2 comprises a distal part 15 having a contact surface 16 arranged to come into contact with a glass door 4 when the glass door 4 is closed. The distal part 15 further comprises a hollow part 17 providing a cavity enclosed by sides of the hollow part 18. The cavity of the hollow part 17 is partly enclosed by a first side 18a and an opposing second side of the hollow part 18b, the first side 18a and second side 18b being opposing each other. An inner surface of the second side of the hollow part is directed towards the cavity and an outer surface of the second side comprises the contact surface of the distal part 16. In the present example, a first heat conducting material 19, e.g. a ferromagnetic material 19 such as an elongated ferromagnetic strip, is arranged with an outer side surface of the first heat-conducing material 19 abutting the inner surface of the second side of the hollow part 18b, so as to provide a large area of contact for transfer of heat by conduction. Two elongated heating elements 20, e.g. heating wires or cords, are arranged along the elongated cavity of the hollow part 17 and in abutment with the first heat-conducting material 19, so that heat may be transferred to the second side of the hollow part 18b via the first heat-conducting material 19 by conductive heating. As seen in the present example, a metal profile 26, e.g. aluminium profile, may additionally be placed in said hollow part 17 so as to at least partly enclose the heating elements 20 and to provide additional pathway(s) for conductive transfer of the heat generated by the heating elements 20 to the first heat-conducting material 19. Furthermore, the metal profile 26 may aid in maintaining the positions of the heating elements 20 inside the hollow part 17. In the present example, the metal profile 26 has an open side providing one or more cavities arranged to receive the heating elements 20 and with one or more open side surfaces arranged to abut the first heat-conducting material 19.

[0076] The gasket profile 11 as shown in FIG. 2 also comprises a proximal part 12 connected to the first side of the hollow part 18a at an outer surface of the first side of the hollow part. Alternatively, or additionally the proximal part 12 may be connected any position(s) on the distal part 15. The proximal part 12 comprises a wall 12a, which in the present examples has a number of bends along the wall 12a and protrusions extending from the wall of the proximal part 12a. The wall of the proximal part 12a encloses a first cavity of the proximal part 13a and a second cavity of the proximal part 13b, which are arranged to accommodate a displacement of the wall of the proximal part 12a towards the cavities 13a, 13b, so as to decrease the transverse extent of the proximal part 12. The cavities 13a, 13b and the wall of the proximal part 12a thereby provide the flexible element(s) of the proximal part 14.

[0077] In the present examples, a part or the entire wall of the proximal part 12a may be made of an elastically deformable material, such as of material(s) selected form the first group, second group and/or third group of materials according to the invention, which allows the proximal part 12 to be biased by an applied compressive or pulling force. After a release of the force on the wall of the proximal part 12a, the wall 12a will try to restore its original equilibrium shape. E.g. this allows the proximal part 12 to be deformed and inserted into the base profile 3, by displacement of at least a part of the wall of the proximal part 12a so as to decrease the transverse extent of the second cavity 13b. Hereafter the proximal part 12 and thereby the gasket profile 11 may be retained by the base profile 3 in particular by one or more of the protrusions of the wall of the proximal part 12a inserted into the base profile 3. In one or more examples, at least the part of the wall of the proximal part 12 retained in the base profile 3 is made of material selected from the second group of materials, such as PVC, PE or PP. The gasket profile 11 may also be retained in the base profile 3 due to the restoring force exerted by the proximal part 12. The retainment of the gasket profile 11 is in particular seen in FIG. 3.

[0078] The deformable wall of the proximal part 12a also provides the effect of allowing the gasket profile 11 to be compressed or expanded in the first direction D1 arranged perpendicular to the contact surface of the distal part 16. In particular the first cavity 13a, being the largest in transverse extent of the two cavities of the proximal part 13a, 13b and arranged nearest to the distal part of the gasket profile 15, provides a space for the wall of the proximal part 12a to be displaced within. The wall of the proximal part 12a and at least the first cavity 13a provides the flexible element 14 of the proximal part 12 for allowing the distal part 15 to be displaced along the first direction D1. This displacement may in particular occur during closing of the glass door 4, where the weight of the glass door 4 and the speed of the closing action exerts an impact force on the gasket profile 11. In one or more examples, the shape of the first cavity 13a and/or the second cavity 13b and/or the wall of the proximal part 12a and/or the material of the wall of the proximal part 12a may be altered to provide different properties of flexibility of the flexible element of the proximal part 14.

[0079] FIG. 3 shows a transverse cross-sectional view of the refrigerating unit 1 at the base profile 3. The transverse plane extends perpendicular to the longitudinal extent of the base profile 3. The base profile of the compartment 3 is seen comprising an opening directed for receiving at least a part of the proximal part of the gasket profile 12 and retaining the proximal part 12 therein. In one or more examples, the base profile 3 may be made of PVC.

[0080] The gasket profile 11 of FIG. 3 is also shown in FIG. 2 and comprises two elongated heating elements 20, e.g. wires, a first heat-conducting material 19 and a metal profile 26 arranged inside the hollow part 17 of the gasket profile 11. As seen in FIG. 3 the gasket profile 11 is configured to be arranged with the contact surface of the distal part 16 facing the outwards from the compartment 2, and such that the contact surface 16 comes into contact with the glass door 4, when the glass door 4 is closed. The first direction D1 is defined perpendicular to the contact surface of the distal part 16. The contact surface 16 may be generally planar extending along vertical and along the base profile 3. When viewed along the first direction D1 from left to right in FIG. 3, the base profile 3 is connected to the proximal part 12, the proximal part 12 is contiguous connected to the distal part 15, wherein the distal part 15 is seen enclosing a metal profile 26 partially arranged about the heating elements 20 and the first heat-conducting material 19. The metal profile 26, the heating elements 20 and the first heat-conducting material 19 is seen positioned in this order from left to right along the first direction D1. In one or more examples, the heating elements 20 may be partially or fully embedded in the metal profile 26 and/or the first heat-conducting material 19.

[0081] In FIGS. 2 and 3 the first heat conducting material 19 is arranged abutting an inner surface of the second side of the hollow part 18b. The distal part 15 comprises the contact surface 16 to the right of the first heat conducting material 19, along the first direction D1, on the outer surface of the second side of the hollow part 18b. As seen in FIG. 3, a contact interface between the glass door 4 and the compartment 2 is provided by the contact surface of the distal part 16 and a part of an inner surface of the glass door 4a. In the present example, the glass door 4 is in a closed configuration, in which the surfaces 4a, 16 are abutting.

[0082] In one or more examples, the side(s) of the hollow part 18 is made of a material selected from the first group of materials according to the invention, such as polyvinylchloride (PVC) or thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). In one or more examples, the thickness of the second side of the hollow part 18b measured from the contact surface 16 to the inner surface of the second side of the hollow part 18b along the first direction D1 may preferably be of a thickness allowing a sufficient transfer of heat through the second side 18b, such as between 0.1 mm and 2 mm in thickness, preferably between 0.1 mm and 0.8 mm.

[0083] The cross-sectional view of FIG. 3 shows a lower part of the glass door 4, near a lowermost edge of the glass door 4. The glass door 4 is shown having two glass panes 5, an innermost glass pane 5a with an inner glass pane surface 6 arranged towards the compartment 2 and an outermost glass pane 5b having an outer glass pane surface 7 directed towards the outside of the refrigerating unit 1. In one or more examples, two spacer elements 8, 9 are arranged along the first direction D1 from the innermost glass pane 5a to the outermost glass pane 5b, wherein the first spacer element 8 is a reinforcement member 8, preferably made of a heat-conducting material such as metal, e.g. aluminium. The second spacing element 9 is preferably made of a polymeric material or a metal e.g. aluminium. In the present example, by having one or more spacer elements 8, 9 of a heat-conducting material, the heat transferred to the inner surface of the glass door 4a may be transferred through the spacer element(s) 8, 9 to the outer surface of the glass door 4b.

[0084] In one or more examples, and as seen in FIG. 3, the inner surface of the glass door 4a comprises a contact profile 21 preferably made of PVC. The contact profile 21 is arranged to come into contact with the contact surface of the distal part 16 of the gasket profile 11. The contact profile 21 has first space of the contact profile 22, which is filled with a second heat-conducting material 24, which in the present example may be a permanent magnet 24a. The permanent magnet 24a may be co-extruded with the contact profile 21 and extending between boundaries of the first space 23 of the contact profile 21.

[0085] In one or more examples, the permanent magnet 24a is arranged to interact with a ferromagnetic material 19 being the first heat conducting material of the gasket profile 19. The interaction between the permanent magnet 24a and the ferromagnetic material 19 may be arranged to apply a pulling force on the gasket profile 11 and thereby on the proximal part 12 in a direction outwards from the base profile 3 along the first direction D1. This may in particular occur at the side of the glass door 4 attached to the compartment 2 by hinges. In one or more embodiments, the pulling force is also present in embodiments, where a permanent magnetic material 24a is arranged in the gasket profile 11 and a ferromagnetic material 19 is arranged as a part of the glass door 4.

[0086] The contact profile 21 of FIG. 3 further comprises a second space being an insulating space 25 arranged above the first space 22 along the vertical direction along the inner glass pane surface 6 of the glass door 4. In the present example, the first space 22 is separated from the insulating space 25, but in an alternative example, they may not be separated and instead share a common first space 22 of the contact profile 21. In the present example, the insulating space 25 may be filled with air and provide insulation for the inner glass pane surface of the glass door 6 from the heat generated by the heating elements 20.

[0087] The inventor has found that the present refrigerating door 1 according to examples of the inventions provides a temperature of the outer glass pane surface 7 of about 16-17 degrees Celsius at a first position P1 near the bottom of the glass door 4 and a temperature of the inner glass pane surface 6 of about 3-5 degrees Celsius at a second position P2 near the bottom edge of the glass door 4, when the heating arrangement 10 is deactivated. Upon activating the heating arrangement 10, a heating power of about 10 W/m is provided, such that the first heat conducting material 19 reaches a temperature of about 27 degrees Celsius, the outer glass pane surface 7 reaches a temperature of about 21-23 degrees Celsius at the first position P1 near the bottom of the glass door 4, while the inner glass pane surface 6 reaches a temperature of about 4-6 degrees Celsius at the second position P2 near the bottom edge of the glass door 4.

[0088] FIGS. 4 and 5 shows a first end of the heating arrangement 10 configured to extend along the base profile 3 of the refrigerating unit 1. FIGS. 6 and 7 shows a second end of the heating arrangement 10 opposite the first end of the heating arrangement 10.

[0089] In FIG. 4, a first heat-conducting element 19 provided as a strip, a metal profile 26 and heat elements 20 are seen in an exemplary configuration. Furthermore, a gasket profile 11 according to examples of the invention is indicated by dashed lines, showing a first end of the elongated gasket profile 11 with the distal part 15 of the gasket profile 11 enclosing the strip of the first heat-conducting material 19, the metal profile 26 and the heat elements 20. In the present example, the first heat conduction material 19 protrudes a distance beyond the end of the gasket profile 11 and extends along the heating elements 20 and connections between the heating elements 20 and one or more power supply cables 28 connected to means for supplying power to said heating elements 20.

[0090] In one or more examples, and as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, the metal profile 26 may extend along longitudinal edges 19″ of the strip of the first heat-conducting material 19 and so that ends of the metal profile 26a is substantially extending perpendicular to the longitudinal edges of the strip 19″. This is in particular visible in FIG. 5. In one or more examples, ends of the metal profile 26a may be substantially flush with the outer side surface of the strip of first heat-conducting material 19a arranged to come into contact with the second side of the hollow part 18b, which comprises the contact surface of the distal part 16, so that the metal profile 26 is also arranged to come into contact with the second side of the hollow profile 18b.

[0091] In FIG. 6 a second end of the elongated gasket profile 11 is indicated by dashed lines, with the distal part of the gasket profile 15 comprising a contact surface of the distal part 16, wherein the distal part 15 is enclosing a strip of the first heat-conducting element 19, a metal profile 26, heat elements 20 and connection elements 29 for connecting the heat elements 20 to a thermal switch mechanism 27 positioned adjacent to the second end of the elongated gasket 11. In one or more examples, the first heat conduction material 19 protrudes a distance beyond the end of the gasket profile 11 and extends along the thermal switch mechanism 27. Alternatively, the thermal switch mechanism 27 may be arranged at the first end of the gasket profile 11. FIG. 7 shows the example of FIG. 6 without indications of the gasket profile 11, and showing the strip of the first heat-conducting element 19, the metal profile 26, the heat elements 20, and the thermal switch mechanism 27 comprising connection elements 29 for connecting to the thermal switch mechanism 27 to the heat elements 20.

[0092] In one or more examples, beyond the ends of the gasket profile 11, the heating arrangement 10 may be protected from the outside of the compartment 2 by one or more corner pieces.

REFERENCE LIST

[0093] 1 Refrigerating unit [0094] 2 Compartment [0095] 3 Base profile of compartment [0096] 4 Glass door [0097] 4a Inner surface of the glass door [0098] 4b Outer surface of the glass door [0099] 5 Glass pane(s) of the glass door [0100] 5a Innermost glass pane [0101] 5b Outermost glass pane [0102] 6 Inner glass pane surface of the glass door [0103] 7 Outer glass pane surface of the glass door [0104] 8 First spacing element e.g. Reinforcement member [0105] 9 Second spacing element [0106] 10 Heating arrangement [0107] 11 Elongated gasket profile [0108] 12 Proximal part of elongated gasket profile [0109] 12a Wall(s) of the proximal part [0110] 13a First cavity [0111] 13b Second cavity [0112] 14 Flexible element of the proximal part [0113] 15 Distal part of elongated gasket profile [0114] 16 Contact surface of the distal part [0115] 17 Hollow part of the distal part [0116] 18 Sides of the hollow part [0117] 18a First side of the hollow part [0118] 18b Second side of the hollow part [0119] 19 First heat-conducting material, e.g. ferromagnetic material [0120] 19a Outer side surface of first heat-conducting material [0121] 19b Inner side surface of first heat-conducting material [0122] 19″ Edge of first heat-conducting material [0123] 20 Heating elements, e.g. heating wires [0124] 21 Contact profile [0125] 22 First space of contact profile [0126] 23 Boundaries of the first space [0127] 24 Second heat-conducting material [0128] 24a Permanent magnetic material [0129] 25 Insulating space of contact profile [0130] 26 Metal profile, e.g. aluminium profile [0131] 26a End of metal profile [0132] 27 Thermal switch mechanism [0133] 28 Power supply cable(s) [0134] 29 Connection element(s) [0135] D1 First direction [0136] P1 First position [0137] P2 Second position