The present invention relates to an arrangement perta_.r_ing to re- frigerator and freezer gondolas, for displaying merctøndise in self- service, retail stores.

Ihe tops of such gondolas are left open, wit-_ ^* _σut the provision of a lid or cx.rrespor>dir_g device. It will be obvious that large quantitie of heat flow into the gondolas and that this heat is cooled by the gondola refrigerating ma ine. This makes the gondolas relatively expensive to run. Although a lid or like device would reduce re¬ frigeration load on the gondola, the gondola would have far less attraction to the c ^~ ___tσmer. In order to reduce the extent to which heat enters the gondolas when the stores are closed, it is usual to cover the gondolas with a covering of woven plastic for instance. However, this will only prevent the ingress of convection heat.

Ihe present invention reduces the exchange of heat between the raercha dise in the gondola and the surroundings effectively, even during store ope-iing times when the gondola is used as intended.

Ihe present invention thus relates to an arrangement perta__rιing to refrigerator and freezer gondolas of the kind used to display merchan- dise in self-service retail stores and which are upwardly open so as to expose the refrigerated or frozen sales merchandise, said invention being characterized in that there is mounted above the gondola operiing an upper glass plate which has a size and position such as to essen¬ tially cover the gondola opening as seen in vertical projection; and in that the glass plate is provided on that surface thereof which f ces towards the gondola opening with an infrared reflecting layer having an emissivity number or factor below 0.2, preferably 0.1.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to exeπplifying ernbodii-ents thereof and with reference to the aaxmpanyin drawings, in which

Figure 1 is a side view of a gondola with which the iiweπtion is applied;

Figure 2 shows the gondola of Figure 1 from its short end;

Figure 3 illustrates a modified form of the gondola __hctwn in

Figure 2;

Figure 4 illustrates an alternative erαbodiment of the invention;

Figure 5 illustrates a modified form of the jjiventiαn;

Figure 6 illustrates part of a glass plate; and

Figure 7 _.llι_strates another modified embc*d__α_sπt of the invention

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a refrigerator or freezer gondola 1 of th kind used to eschibit mesrc-andise in self-service retail stores, said gondola being open upwardly so as to expose the refrigerated or frozen meriiandise on sale and so as to enable the customer to reπcw inerchandise readily from the gondola. Such gondolas are extremely cannon and can be found in many different sizes and designs.

A__α_n_ing to the present invention, an upper glass plate 3 is mcuπte above the access opening 2 of the gondola 1. The glass plate 3 has size and pcsitioning such as to generally cover the gondola opening

2, as seen in vertical projection. Acx∞rding to one preferred embodi ment of the invention, the glass plate 3 has a width which exceeds the width of the gondola opening 2, preferably, by from 20 to 50%. The length of the glass plate equals the length of the gondola, althcuφ it may al ^* t_=__røt_ively be sliφtly longer.

According to the invention, the surface 4 of the glass plate 3 facing towards the gondola opening 2 is provided with an infrared refleσting ∞ating 5 having an eπtissivity i-urαber or factor of below 0.2, prefer- ably below 0.1.

Figure 6 illustrates a part of a glass plate 3, in which the infrared reflecting layer 5 is shown in broken lines.

By arranging a glass plate in this way and providing the glass plate with an infrared reflecting layer of low emissivity factor, the radiation exchange between the ^~ τ__archandise in the gondola and the su__rcurdings is greatly reduced. Because of the low emissivity

factor, the radiant efficiency between the undersurface of the glass plate and the merchandise will be very low, while heat radiated from ceiling light fittings, among other things, will be reflected back to the ceiling by the infrared reflecting layer 5.

However, an exchange of heat will take place by radiation between the πerchandise and that part of the £- ^~ tτoundings -which can "be seen" by the inerchandise in that sector del__mited by the glass plate and the upper edge 6 of the gondola. This sector can be made smaller or larger, by varying the heicftrt of the glass plate above the gondola and the width of the plate. The glass plate is preferably placed at the lowest possible height in which it will not be felt to be in the way of the custo-ters as they remove merchandise from the gondola, despite being wider than the width of the gondola.

A_xx.rding to one preferred embodiment, illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, glass end plates 9, 10 are mounted vertically at the ends 7, 8 of the gondola, between the upper side of the gondola and the underside 4 of the upper glass plate 3. The surfaces 11, 12 of these glass end plates 9, 10 fitted to the gondola are provided with an infrared reflecting coating having an emissivity number, or factor, beneath 0.2, preferably beneath 0.1. These glass end plates will further reduce the sector within which an exchange of heat can take place between the merchandise and the su_-roundings by radiation.

The invention thus minimizes the exchange of radiant heat between the merchandise and the siixxσundings. This heat exchange is dαmirøting, particularly in the case of freezer gondolas. Less heat is exchanged by cxsπvection. Ccar__*«q__eπtly, it is found that the amount of energy that needs to be supplied to the gondola refrigerator machine is sig¬ nificantly reduced when applying the present ^j jrveπtiαn, despite the fact that the gondola is open and despite the fact that the upper glass plate does not el__minate all exchange of radiant heat. This reduction in energy supply may equal rcu ly half of the energy that is required when the invention is not applied.

A-xxjrding to a further, preferred embodiment of the invention, the upper glass plate 3 can be raised to an upper position, shown in full lines in Figure 2, and lowered to a lower position, shewn in broken lines in Figure 2, in which it is located __πι_ediately above the gondola opening or, alternatively, lies against the upper edges of the gondola. This c_cnstruction enables the glass plate to be lowered readily, so as to cover the gondola opening during those times in which the store is closed. When the glass plate is lowered to its lower position, the exchange of both ∞πvection heat and radiant heat between merchandise and surcxjirπdings is prevented. This results in a very lew degree of heat exchange. Furthermore, it also results in a considerable iiuprovβuent ∞mpared with the known technique in which the gondolas are covered with a sheet of material. These coverings have a hi . eraissivity factor, namely an emissivity factor close to l, and hence the exchartge of radiant heat is still high.

Accarding to one embed.ment, the upper glass plate 3 is supported by posts 13, 14, 15 attached to the gondola. Khcwn gondolas are often fitted with such posts for supporting a shelf on which merchandise to be stored at room temperature is displayed. Naturally, correspcaiding posts can be used to support the glass plate 3.

Acxxarding to one preferred estbodiment, the glass plate 3 is cαrtstructe to form such a shelf for the display of roer-handise stored at room temperature.

When the upper glass plate is to be supported in a manner which will enable the plate to be raised and lowered, as before mentioned, the aforesaid posts 13, 14, 15 may be constructed in a manner to enable them to be moved vertically in relation to the gondola. This can be achieved, for example, with the aid of ball screws driven by electric motors and acting between the gondola and respective posts. This would also enable raising and lowering of the glass plate to be controlled by electrical timers of known kind and effected at appointed times.

- xxsr ing to one al ^* b=rrιative erabod__meπt of the invention, the upper glass plate 3' is supported by ties or braces 16, 17 or by wires

attached to the ceiling of the store cαncerned; see Figure 4 in whic only a part of the braces are shown. In this case, the glass plate 3' suspended from the ceiling coacts with a gondola 1' positioned beneath the glass plate 3'. In the case of this e_πbodimr≥nt, the glass plate can be placed in the same position relative to the gondol as in the case where the glass plate is supported by posts. As will be understood, the glass plate can be made raisable and lowerable, as before described.

Mthough mention has been made in the aforegoing to a glass plate, it will be understood that in the case of large gondolas, the upper glass plate will, of necessity, include two or more glass plates placed adjacent one another. These glass plates are secured to a c-αmmon stnαcture, such as a framework, which in turn is supported by posts 13, 14, 15 or braces 16, 17.

In the aforegoing, e-πbodimsπts have been described in which the glass plate 3 is flat and hαrizαπtal. It is also possible, however, to incline a flat glass plate or to position two glass plates 3" so as to form a pitched roof structure, as illustrated in Figure 5.

Furthermore, acscording to one preferred eπbodiment of the invention, the glass plate 3 ^,/ can be arched over the gondola 1', in the manner illustrated in Figure 7, in which the glass plate is supported by braces or ties 16, 17 car wires. It is possible to prevent radiation 18 from the floor 19 being reflected into the interior of the gondola by the infrared reflecting layer, by appropriate selection of the radius of αrcvature of the glass plate and its height above the gondola. This is illustrated by the rays 18 arrowed in Figure 7. This construction thus prevents the radiation of heat into the gondol still further.

tJiαiagh the invention has been described above with reference to a number of eπtoodiments thereof, it will be -understood that further variants are possible. For example, the glass plate can be secured to the underside of a shelf made of metal or soπe other material. In this case, no benefit is gained by the transparency of the glass and the only benefit afforded is that the surface facing towards the

merca*__u*___ise has a low eraissivity r ^* _.π_ber. The glass plate of this construction can also be made raisable and lowerable.

The present iπventia is therefore not restricted to the aforedescrib and illustrated ea-facd__meπts thereof, since variations and modificatio can be made within the scope of the following Claims.