Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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D I S P?~AY APPARATUS
The present invention relates to a refrigerated display
apparatus capable of being arranged at least partly on a counter
top and also to a counter top including such a refrigerated
display apparatus.
Many different examples of refrigerated display apparatus
capable of being arranged on a counter are known. These
typically are relatively large cuboid structures comprising a
refrigeration unit located on and supported by a counter top,
and a product display unit carried by the refrigeration unit.
However, there are a number of problems associated with this
type of apparatus. Firstly, the size of the components, all of
which are arranged on the counter, results in an apparatus which
is relatively large in terms of the footprint it must occupy on
the counter and its height above the counter, which is
undesirable.
Secondly, the refrigeration unit generates a significant amount
of hot air, resulting from the cooling of the compressed
refrigerant gas. This warm or hot air is typically vented or
exhausted from the refrigeration unit at a height which is about
equal to that of the head or torso of the counter attendant
and/or customers waiting by the counter. This flow of warm or
hot air can be very unpleasant for those near to the display
apparatus, especially when the ambient temperature is relatively
high.
Thirdly, the refrigeration unit is typically a somewhat noisy
component and the noise emitted by it can be objectionable,
especially where people, such as the counter attendants) are
subject to this noise pollution for prolonged periods of time.
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Thus, there is a desire for a refrigerated display apparatus
which is capable of occupying a relatively small area of the
counter top, where the vented warm or hot air as well as the
noise generated by the refrigeration unit are such that they do
not disturb people in the vicinity of the apparatus.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a refrigerated display apparatus comprising a product
display unit and a refrigeration unit, the product display unit
including a housing defining a chamber arranged to receive
therewithin one or more products, a base adapted to overlie and
be supported by a counter top and a projecting portion
projecting beyond the base, wherein the refrigeration unit
depends from the projecting portion, whereby the refrigeration
unit is arrangeable below the level of the counter top. In a
particularly preferred embodiment, the projecting portion
projects horizontally in use from the base.
The present apparatus permits the product display unit to be
arranged directly onto the counter top (i.e. without the
refrigeration unit being located therebetween) with a part of
the display unit projecting beyond the counter top, which
therefore results in the apparatus occupying a smaller area of
the counter than conventional apparatus which are located wholly
upon the counter.
Additionally, by having the refrigeration apparatus arrangeable
below the level of the counter top, the warm or hot air from the
present apparatus may be vented or exhausted at, or just above
ground level, where it is less noticeable and thus less
objectionable, thereby ameliorating the problem of the warm or
hot air being vented from the refrigeration unit at or about
torso height.
Furthermore, since the refrigeration unit may be arranged at a
height lower than alternative refrigeration display apparatus,
the noise generated by the refrigeration apparatus is emitted at
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a lower height and therefore becomes less audible and hence less
of a nuisance to people in close proximity to the display
apparatus.
In a preferred embodiment, the refrigeration unit includes a
vent for venting warm or hot air generated by the refrigeration
apparatus, in particular the condenser, wherein the vent is
located within a housing enclosing the refrigeration apparatus.
More preferably, the vent is located in a lower portion of the
housing. The term "lower portion" is used herein to define an
area between the bottom of the housing and a point halfway up
the housing (i.e. h/2, where h represents the height of the
housing).
The apparatus is preferably mains powered and is desirably a
self-contained unit. That is to say it requires no additional
display or refrigeration apparatus in order to operate
effectively as intended.
The refrigeration unit may be housed within a pedestal which
includes a height adjustable foot portion capable of contacting
(and being supported by) a floor for a wide variety of different
counter top heights. To this end, the foot portion may be
capable of telescopically sliding in and out of the pedestal (or
vice versa) to achieve the desired height.
The apparatus is preferably configured generally in the form of
an inverted "L" shape, wherein the display unit is arranged
horizontally in use and the refrigeration unit depends
vertically downwards therefrom beyond the edge of a counter on
which in use it is rested. In this type of an arrangement, part
of the display unit overlies and is supported by the counter top
and a part of the display unit projects beyond the counter top
and is supported by the refrigeration unit, preferably by the
housing or pedestal which encloses the refrigeration unit. Thus,
the present display apparatus preferably occupies a smaller area
on the counter (i.e. has a smaller footprint) than an equivalent
display apparatus having the same area when viewed in plan.
1
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The apparatus, preferably includes a means for transporting a
cooling medium from the refrigeration unit to the display unit.
The cooling medium may be chilled air or other chilled cooling
fluid, or, alternatively, the cooling medium may be a cooled
compressed (preferably liquid) refrigerant gas (e. g. Freon),
where the apparatus comprises an evaporator located within the
display unit, to cool the air within the display unit.
In a preferred embodiment, the refrigeration unit includes a
cooling medium outlet and a cooling medium return. In
embodiments where the cooling medium is a chilled gas, the
refrigeration unit may include a fan for circulating the gas to
and from the refrigeration unit. Alternatively, in embodiments
where the cooling medium is a compressed refrigeration gas, the
refrigeration unit preferably includes a pump for circulating
the refrigerant gas around a closed refrigerant circuit.
The display unit preferably includes channels, ducts or
apertures to permit circulation of chilled or cooled air around
the display unit and the product or products housed therein.
The display apparatus may include an opening, preferably
closable by a lid to enable a consumer to access the or each
product within the display unit chamber.
The refrigeration unit is in communication with the display unit
and is preferably capable of maintaining the display unit at a
temperature down to about -20°C, more preferable down to about
-18°C. In such embodiments, the display apparatus may be use to
display frozen products, such as ice creams and the like.
Alternatively, the display apparatus may be used to display
refrigerated products, where the temperature is preferably
maintained at about 2 to 6°C.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a counter top including a refrigerated display
apparatus according to the first aspect of the present
invention. Preferably, the projecting portion of the display
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unit projects beyond a side edge portion of the counter top and
the refrigeration unit is arranged below the counter top.
An embodiment of the present invention will not be described, by
way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing
in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of the present
invention located in position on a counter top.
For the avoidance of doubt, it should be noted that in the
following description, references to "horizontal", "vertical",
"up", "down", and to related terms, refer to the orientation
that the components of the apparatus adopt when installed for
normal use, as they are shown in the figures.
Figure 1 shows a refrigerated display apparatus 2, comprising a
product display unit 4 and a pedestal 6.
The product display unit 4 comprises a body 3 and a base 5
comprising a first base portion 20 which overlies and is
supported by a portion of a counter top 30, and a projecting
portion in the form of a second base portion 21 which projects
horizontally from the counter 30. A main body portion 8 of the
pedestal 6 depends from the second base portion 21 of the
product display unit base element 5.
A lower portion of the main pedestal body 8 defines an aperture
18 into which is telescopically slideable a foot element 10 of
the pedestal 6. The bottom 11 of the foot 10 contacts the floor
32 and is supported thereby. The foot is capable of being locked
in position whereby the main body 8 of the pedestal 6 and a
portion of the display unit 4 are supported by the foot.
The main body 8 of the pedestal 6 includes a compressor and a
condenser (both not shown) as part of a well know closed
refrigerant gas circuit. The compressor compresses a refrigerant
gas and the compressed refrigerant gas is then transported via a
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conduit to the condenser where it is cooled. The compressed
refrigerant gas is cooled by virtue of a heat exchanger-type
arrangement where air at ambient temperature is drawn into the
pedestal through an air inlet 12, passed over the condenser and
exhausted from the pedestal 6 via a warm air vent 14 in the foot
of the pedestal 6. The airflow in and the airflow out are
indicated in Figure 1 with appropriate arrows indicating the
direction of airflow. The cooled compressed refrigerant gas is
then pumped via a second conduit to an evaporator located within
10 the product display unit 4. In the evaporator, the compressed
cooled gas is allowed to expand whereupon it absorbs heat energy
from within the product display unit 4, thus refrigerating it.
The expanded refrigerant gas completes the closed refrigerant
cycle by being pumped back to an inlet side of the compressor
via a third conduit.
The above-described refrigerant circuit will be well know to
those skilled in the art, the difference with the present
invention being that the compressor and the condenser, together
with additional ancillary components commonly used with this
type of apparatus, are located within the main body 8 of the
pedestal 6, to allow a greater volume for the product display
unit 4 and to allow the heated air that has passed over the
condenser to be vented from vent 14 which is located in the foot
10 of the pedestal 6 adjacent to the floor 32, whereas the
evaporator is located within the display unit 4.
As well as the evaporator, the product display unit 4 also
includes a product chamber for receiving therein one or more
products. The product chamber is accessed by a user via a
transparent lid 22 which may be opened via a handle 24. The lid
22 is hingedly connected to the display unit body 3 via hinges
(not shown) which connect the main body 3 of the display unit 4
to lid 22 at respective side edge portions opposite to the
handle 24.
