Refrigerator units for display in grocery shops and especially self-service shops normally have a total height of approximately 2 meters and a weight from 200 to 350 kilo.

Installation and replacement of such refrigerator units involve large problems connected with transportation of the refrigerator units through entrance doors as well as possible interior doors and through the shop facilities as such, to the desired localization. The height of door openings normally is about 2 meters which means that a refrigerator unit cannot be transported through a door opening on a trolley or pallet, but has to be taken down from such transport means to be transported through doors openings separately, thereafter to be lifted in upright position on the transportation means after passing through the door. The refrigerator units by and large measure around 2 meters in the height and therefore may be transported through the door openings.

Because of the rather rough handling refrigerator units normally are exposed to, refrigerator units in many cases are damaged. Due to the large weight of the refrigerator units, floors and door steps often are damaged when the refrigerator units are transported through the premises.

Maintenance and repairs of the refrigerator units today are performed in the shop premises, normally during the opening time, which certainly is an hindrance for customers in the shops premises.

With the refrigerator unit according to the present invention the above mentioned disadvantages are avoided. This is achieved with the refrigerator unit according to the present invention as defined with the features stated in the claims.

The drawing discloses in figure 1 a perspective drawing of a refrigerator unit ready for use, figure 2 disclose the lower part of the refrigerator unit in figure 1, the storage unit, figure 3 discloses the upper part of the refrigerator unit, the cooling unit, figure 4 discloses a plate on the underside of the upper part, seen from above, and figure 5 discloses a corresponding plate on the upper side of the lower part, also seen from above.

The refrigerator unit according to the present invention comprises an upper part or a cooling unit 2 which easily can be removed from the lower part 1, the storage unit.

The storage unit is prepared for storing goods, preferably with extractable shelves, shelf systems and/or trolleys with controls (not disclosed) in the storage unit itself.

The cooling unit 2 comprises a complete electrically driven cooling machine with electrical connectors and for example comprise electrical signs for advertising etc in the front.

The cooling unit 2 easily can be removed from the storage unit 1 enabling maintenance and repairs to be performed else where if desired. Possibly the cooling unit 2 also can be removed in such a way that the storage unit 1 may be kept in normal operation during the time where the removed cooling unit 2 is taken away for maintenance or repair.

The storage unit 1 comprises isolated walls and roof as well as isolated glass doors and therefore provides a separate isolated unit with internal light. The storage unit 1 and the cooling unit 2 are electrically connected to each other by means of plugs and contacts in the respectively units.

The cooling unit 2 preferably may be displaced and slidable on top of the storage unit 1 in a suitable way to make installation and removal easy. Upon installation the cooling unit 2 is locked to the storage unit 1 and electrical power connected.

As disclosed in figure 4, the underside of the cooling unit 2 comprises a second cover plate 3 having a suction aperture 6. Figure 5 discloses a first plate 4 on top of the storage unit 1 with a suction aperture 8 corresponding to the aperture 6 in the second cover plate 3.

Correspondingly the second cover plate 3 comprises an outlet aperture 5 and the first plate 4 comprises a corresponding aperture 7. The air is sucked from the upper area of the storage unit 1 through the openings 8 and 6 to be guided through the cooling unit 2.

Thereafter the cooled air is blown down into the storage unit 1 through the apertures 5 and 7. Suitably the apertures 5 and 7 are shaped as a slot.

Sealing means respectively sealing profiles ensure that the apertures 5 and 6 in the second cover plate 3 are sealed against the apertures 7 and 8 when cooling unit 2 is installed on top of the storage unit 1. Figure 4 discloses schematically the arrangement of an electric cooling machine 9 and a fan 10 to ensure the transport of air from the storage unit 1, through the cooling machine 9 and back downwardly into the storage unit 1.

For installing in a shop it is an advantage that the cooling unit 2 and the storage unit 1 may be disassembled and that the lower part 1 for example may be transported through the premises without shelves or shelf system, which shelves preferably are retractable. This means that the large, relatively unhandy storage unit 1 will not be very heavy and it is easily avoided that the storage unit 1 touches and possibly damages goods in the shop when transported to and fro the installation site in the shop premises.