D E S C R I P T I O N

The present invention refers to a module for refrigerating elements to be refrigerated, such as for examples beverages or drinks, and also to a refrigerator device provided with one or more of such modules.

Refrigerator devices wherein beverages or drinks are stored and kept at a selected temperature are known. Such devices, also known as refrigerating rooms or closed refrigerators, find for example application in bars or restaurants.

The known refrigerator devices normally have a thermally insulated body defining inside a refrigeration space receiving beverages or drinks. Refrigeration space can be provided with shelves for positioning the beverages or drinks.

The access to the refrigeration space is gained through a large opening in the body, which is closed by a corresponding large door, which is also thermally insulated.

Besides the problem of the door size when it is open, there is also the problem of a substantial thermal transmission between the environment and the refrigeration space because during the loading and withdrawing steps the refrigeration space remains open. This entails an energy waste and also long time intervals to cool the beverages or drinks, introduced at ambient temperature in the refrigeration space, to the selected temperature. The problem is exacerbated in case the door is opened and closed many times, as often occurs in bars or restaurants. Moreover, the volume of the refrigeration space is usually greater than the real volume occupied by the stored beverages or drinks, with a consequent energy waste due to the large quantity of air to be processed.

Besides to what has been discussed before, there is also the problem of arranging the beverages or drinks inside the refrigeration space. Indeed, beverages or drinks are withdrawn and stored mainly in positions adjacent the door, and consequently the beverages or drinks located farther from the door remain stored near the bottom of the refrigeration space. Therefore, it is necessary to perform periodical rotations of beverages or drinks in the refrigeration space for displacing the beverages or drinks stored near the bottom to a position more adjacent the door, so that still warm beverages or drinks are not withdrawn.

Document US 4,823,984 A describes a refrigeration apparatus receiving inside different modules. Among them, the apparatus comprises a cooling module receiving inside sloped surfaces for dropping, by gravity, cans or similar. The described apparatus comprises inside a complicated system for handling cans to be refrigerated, and particularly comprises an electrically actuated system such to prevent the cans inside the module itself from accidentally dropping. However, such handling system is structurally complex. Moreover, the cans cannot be directly withdrawn from the cooling module, but must follow a further path to arrive into a withdrawing compartment, from which an user can take a can.

The technical problem underlying the present invention is therefore to make available a refrigeration module and a refrigerator device enabling to limit the energy waste and allowing to simplify the loading and withdrawing steps of the elements to be refrigerated, so that the periodical rotations of the products arranged inside the refrigeration space are avoided.

A further object of the present invention is to make available a refrigeration module which is structurally simple and enables an user to easily withdraw and introduce elements to be refrigerated by hand.

This and other objects are met by a module for refrigerating elements to be refrigerated according to claim 1 and by a refrigerator device comprising one or more such refrigeration modules according to claim 12.

In order to better understand the invention and appreciate its advantages, in the following some of its exemplifying non limiting embodiments will be described with reference to the attached drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a cross-section view of a refrigeration module according to the invention;

Figures 2a and 2b are two side views of a refrigerator device according to a first embodiment of the invention, Figure 2a being a partial phantom view;

Figures 3a and 3b are two side views of a refrigerator device according to a second embodiment of the invention, Figure 3a being a partial phantom view;

Figures 4a and 4b are two side views of a refrigerator device according to a third embodiment of the invention, Figure 4a being a partial phantom view;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a counter provided with some refrigerator devices according to some possible embodiments of the invention.

Referring to Figure 1 , a refrigerator module is indicated by reference 1. Refrigeration module is adapted to refrigerate elements as, only as an example, beverages or drinks, packaged in cans or bottles. In the present description, it will be made reference to an example wherein the elements to be refrigerated are cans, indicated in the figures by reference 2. Obviously, refrigeration module 1 can also refrigerate elements of a different type, such as for example canned or packaged food, boxed beverages, or similar.

Refrigeration module comprises a housing 3 defining inside a refrigeration space 4 receiving cans 2 to refrigerate them. To this end, refrigeration module 1 comprises means adapted to refrigerate 5. The means comprise for example a known refrigeration circuit comprising a compressor, a condenser, a lamination valve, and an evaporator. Obviously, it is possible to provide other types of refrigeration systems, possibly more complex than the one described. Refrigeration module 1 can comprise the whole refrigeration circuit or only a portion of it, for example when the refrigeration module is part of a modular system having several refrigeration modules. In this case, refrigeration module can for example comprise only the evaporator (indicated in the figures by number 6), or a plurality of evaporators 6, while the other elements of the circuit can be common to the other modules. According to a possible embodiment, refrigeration means 5 comprise a ventilation system (non illustrated in the figures) for forcing the air to circulate in the refrigeration space 4.

In order to limit the thermal transmission between the refrigeration space 4 and the environment, housing 3, preferably having the shape of a body, advantageously comprises: one or more tightly closed gaps 7 containing inside an insulating material, which can be of different type. According to a possible embodiment, such insulating material comprises polyurethane foams or other gas or insulating materials per se known commonly used in the refrigerator devices. According to a particularly advantageous alternative embodiment, such material comprises substantially dry air, in other words the humidity is substantially absent. This latter variant assures a suitable thermal insulation with a reduced cost with respect to the one of the polyurethane foams, and also the problems of disposing and recycling the refrigeration module at the end of its life are smaller.

Refrigeration module 1 comprises two separated openings for entering the refrigeration space 4, particularly formed in the body, a loading opening 8 and a withdrawing opening 9 for respectively introducing and withdrawing cans 2 into/from the refrigeration space 4. Such two loading and withdrawing openings 8, 9 are advantageously located at different levels, with reference to a normal condition of use of the refrigeration module 1. Specifically, loading opening 8 is located at a level greater than the withdrawing opening 9 so that cans 2, once introduced, can move from the top to the bottom by gravity, as it will be better explained in the following.

Loading opening 8 and withdrawing opening 9 can be arranged on the same side (as shown in the embodiments illustrated in Figures 1 , 2a, 4a) or on different sides of housing 3, particularly on the opposed side (as shown for example in the embodiments of Figure 3a).

Refrigeration module 1 comprises means 10 for closing loading opening 8 and withdrawing opening 9, preferably separated one from the other, so that loading opening 8 and withdrawing opening 9 can be kept opened or closed independently one from the other.

According to a possible embodiment, closing means 10 comprises a first door 1 1 associated to the loading opening 8 and second door 12 associated to the withdrawing opening 9. Such first and second doors 1 1 , 12, separated one from the other, are preferably connected to housing 3, still more preferably are rotateably connected, and are moveable between corresponding closed and opened positions. In the closed position, the doors keep closed their corresponding opening, while in the opened position they keep it open. As an example, Figure 1 shows first door 1 1 in the opened position and second door 12 is shown in closed position. According to a possible embodiment, doors 1 1 and 12 open by outwardly overturning. In other words, they are rotatable around horizontal rotation axes (that is perpendicular to the gravitational acceleration), with reference to the normal conditions of use of the refrigeration module. As an example, arrow F in Figure 1 indicates a possible rotation movement of first door between the closed position and the opened position.

Advantageously, to the closing means 10, particularly to the first and second doors 1 1 , 12, are associated means (not shown in the figures) adapted to bias them toward the closing position. In this way, such doors can be automatically closed after their opening, for example, by an user. For example, such means for biasing the doors toward the closed position can comprise resilient means, such as torsion springs, adapted to apply resilient torques such to bias the doors toward the closed position.

Advantageously, the first and second doors 1 1 , 12 have a shape analogous to the one described with reference to a body of housing 3. Specifically, they define inside corresponding gaps 13 filled with an insulating material for reducing the thermal exchange between the refrigeration space 4 and the environment when the doors are in their closed position. According to a possible embodiment, gaps 3 are filled with polyurethane foams or other gas or insulating materials per se known commonly used in refrigeration devices. Alternatively, they can be filled with substantially dry air. This latter approach is particularly advantageous for reducing the cost and makes easier disposing the refrigeration module at the end of its life.

Refrigeration module 1 comprises one or more sloped supports 14 located in the refrigeration space 4. Referring to the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1 , it shows a first sloped support 14' and a second sloped support 14" formed by the bottom of housing 4. Sloped supports 14 have a double function of guiding the cans 2 from loading opening 8 to withdrawing opening 9 and supporting the cans 2 stored in the refrigeration space 4.

Indeed, sloped supports 14 are shaped and arranged one with respect to the other so to define a predetermined path between loading opening 8 and withdrawing opening 9 which cans 2 are forced to follow once they are inserted inside the refrigeration space 4 through loading opening 8. Since the supports 14 are inclined, in other words they form an angle a different from 0° with an ideal horizontal line, the cans 2 are caused to move along the above mentioned path by gravity, that is without using biasing external systems for pushing them. In the case of cans, they move by rolling. In case of elements having different shapes, for example fruit juice boxes, the movement can be of a different type, they slide.

Inclination a of sloped supports is limited, preferably is not greater than 10°, so that the cans are prevented from gaining an excessive speed.

Sloped supports 14 can have different shapes and are differently arranged one from the other. Preferably, they can be overlapped in the refrigeration space 4 between loading opening 8 and withdrawing opening 9, that is they are located one above the other at different levels. In this way, cans 2, when move along the path defined by sloped supports 14, successively move along each of the overlapped sloped supports, dropping by gravity between successive overlapped sloped supports.

Referring for example to the embodiment of Figure 1 , can 2"', once introduced into the refrigeration space 4 through loading opening 8, rolls by gravity along the sloped support 14' to the free end. Then, it drops by gravity from sloped support 14' on sloped support 14", rolling again along it to the withdrawing opening 9. Sloped supports 14, according to the illustrated embodiment, are planar, in other words they are sloped planes. However, it is possible to envisage different shapes, for example convex shapes.

Preferably, the inclination angles a of overlapped sloped supports have an alternated sign. For example, with reference to Figure 1 , if it is considered by convention positive the angle a formed by sloped support 14', sloped support 14" has an inclination angle having an opposite sign. In this way, with reference to the view shown in Figure 1 , can 2"' can roll from right to left along the sloped support 14' and from left to right along sloped support 14". In other words, sloped supports 14 define a zigzag path.

Further possible shapes of the sloped supports are schematically shown in Figures 2a, 3a, 4a, which show paths P followed by cans.

The embodiment illustrated in Figure 2a is substantially as the one in Figure 1 . According to an embodiment not shown in the figures, it is further possible to provide a refrigeration module having just one sloped plane 14, wherein the loading and withdrawing openings 8, 9 are arranged on two opposite sides of housing 3 at different levels. According to this embodiment, cans do not jump between the overlapped sloped supports, but they simply roll between loading opening and withdrawing opening along the only one provided sloped support.

According to the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3a, three overlapped sloped supports are provided (specifically two overlapped sloped supports and a third sloped support made in the bottom of the body), and loading and withdrawing openings 8, 9 are positioned on the two opposite sides of housing 3.

According to the embodiment shown in Figure 4a, fourteen overlapped sloped supports are provided (specifically thirteen overlapped sloped supports and a fourteenth sloped support made in the bottom of the body), and the loading and withdrawing openings 8, 9 are positioned on the same side of housing 3.

Obviously, it will apparent to the person skilled in the art that it is possible to conceive different configurations with different number of overlapped sloped supports and with different relative positions of the loading and withdrawing openings 8, 9.

Further, it is observed that the arrangement comprising a plurality of overlapped sloped supports is just one of the different possible shapes for causing the cans to move from the loading opening to the withdrawing opening by gravity. For example, it is possible to provide one sloped support helically extending between the loading opening and the withdrawing opening. In this way the path for the cans, defined by the helical sloped support, will have also a helical layout.

The sloped supports shaped and arranged with respect to the loading and withdrawing openings according to the preceding description, besides being a support for the movement, are also a support for storing the cans in the refrigeration space. In other words, the cans, once followed their path as defined, remain on the sloped supports where they are refrigerated by the previously described refrigeration means. In this way it is not necessary to provide a further storing compartment, so that it is reduced the whole size of the refrigeration module. Particularly, cans are successively stored from the withdrawing opening along the path defined by the sloped supports to the loading opening. Moreover, the successive sloped supports are advantageously shaped so that, once the cans are stored on them, the first element to be refrigerated inserted through the loading opening is also the first extractable from the withdrawing opening. In other words, the sloped supports are such that the cans are insertable and withdrawable according to a logic of the first in first out (FIFO) type. For obtaining this effect without cans overlapping one on the other, the overlapped sloped supports are preferably reciprocally spaced by a minimum distance greater than the cans diameter (or another size for another type of element to be refrigerated) and a maximum distance less than twice such diameter or size of the element to be refrigerated.

What has been described before is explained by Figure 1 , which shows the cans storing mode. The can most adjacent the withdrawing opening 9 , has been indicated by reference 2'. Can 2' was the first to be inserted through loading opening 8 and by rolling along the sloped supports 14 along the path defined by them, arrives near the withdrawing opening 9. A second can 2", inserted after can 2', through loading opening 8 will also follow the path defined by sloped supports 14 until it is stopped by can 2' which is in turn stopped by the closed second door 12. In the same way, all the successively inserted cans are stored. Can 2' will be the first can extractable through the withdrawing opening 9. When can 2' is extracted, can 2", when the door 12 is rotated to the closed position, rolls to the position taken before by can 2'. The cans after can 2" will have an analogous behavior in that they will advance to a position corresponding to the space left by the extracted can 2'. It is therefore apparent that in this way it is prevented the cans, successively inserted after can 2', which are usually warmer because they have been stored for a less extent of time in the refrigeration space, from being extracted before can 2'.

Advantageously, when door 12 is opened for extracting can 2', can 2" is prevented from accidentally exit in turn because refrigeration module 1 comprises a system 15 for blocking the can (or a different type of element to be refrigerated) successive to the can (or other element to be refrigerated) located most adjacent the withdrawing opening 9 when the second door 12 is in an opened position.

According to a possible embodiment, such blocking system 15 comprises a blocking plate 16, preferably having a S shape, moveable between a blocking position and a releasing position (the latter being shown in Figure 1 ). A spring 17 is arranged so that to bias blocking plate 16 toward the blocking position, according to arrow F2. A driving plate 18, preferably associated to second door 12 and, more preferably, integral with it, keeps blocking plate 16 in the releasing position when second door 12 is in the closed position. Advantageously, driving plate 18 is such that can 2' (in other words the element to be refrigerated more adjacent the withdrawing opening 9), is supported by the driving plate 18 itself when second door 12 is in the closed position. When second door 12 is taken to the opened position, driving plate 18 releases blocking plate 16, which is in turn biased toward the blocking position by spring 17 according arrow F2. In this position, an end 19 of blocking plate 16 blocks the element to be refrigerated following the element to be refrigerated which is going to be extracted, that is, with reference to Figure 1 , can 2". It is possible to extract can 2' by preventing can 2" from exiting the withdrawing opening 9. When second door 2 is in the opened position, driving plate 18 acts also as a support for can 2', making easier its extraction by an user.

When can 2' is withdrawn and second door 12 is again placed in the closed position, driving plate 18 drives again blocking plate 16 toward its releasing position, by overcoming the spring 17 force. When blocking plate 16 is again in the releasing position, second can 2" can freely move to the position previously occupied by the first can 2'.

The above described blocking system ensures that other elements to be refrigerated cannot exit besides the one the user wants to extract. The refrigeration module, according to the invention therefore is simple to use even though it does not have inside complicated automatic handling and retaining systems.

According to a possible embodiment, in order to make easy the insertion of cans in the refrigeration space through loading opening 8, first door 1 1 comprises a resting support 20 on which it is possible to place the cans to be introduced when first door 1 1 is in the opened position. Resting support 20 is further adapted to guide the can on the first sloped support 14' which the can comes across along the path defined by sloped support 4 when first door 1 1 is in the closed position.

According to a possible embodiment, refrigeration module comprises means 21 for guiding the elements to be refrigerated, extending along the path defined by sloped supports, adjustable as a function of the size of said elements to be refrigerated. Particularly, such guiding means 21 , for example having the shape of projecting edges, are displaceable as a function of the cans heights, so to make possible to use the refrigeration module with elements to be refrigerated having different extensions. Preferably, such guiding means 21 are further adjustable for making possible to use the refrigeration module also with elements to be refrigerated having particular shapes, such as bottles, whose neck has a diameter generally smaller than the diameter of its base.

Sloped supports 14 can comprise plates or sheets fixed to housing 3. Preferably, the previously described evaporators 6 are located below at least some of the sloped supports 14.

For collecting the condensate produced by the refrigeration process, refrigeration module 1 advantageously comprises a discharge 23, preferably located on the bottom of housing 3, more preferably adjacent second door 12. In this way, also the condensate can flow, by gravity, along the sloped supports till discharge 23.

Refrigeration module, as arranged, can be used alone or inserted in a refrigerator device 24 possibly provided with further refrigeration modules. Figures 2-4 show refrigerator devices provided with one or more refrigeration modules according to possible embodiments. Figure 2b illustrates a refrigerator device 24' with loading and discharging on the same side, provided with three refrigeration modules. Figure 3b illustrates a refrigerator device 24" with loading and discharging on the opposite sides, provided with three refrigeration modules. Figure 4b illustrates a large size refrigerator device 24"' with loading and discharging on the same side, provided with four refrigeration modules.

Figure 5 illustrates further examples of refrigerator devices in a possible condition of use, particularly located in a kitchen space, for example on a counter of a bar or restaurant.

A first refrigerator device 24 ^IV can be put for example on a tabletop and is of a type provided with three refrigeration modules with loading and discharging on opposite sides. A second refrigeration device 24 ^v can be also put on a tabletop and is of a type provided with a single refrigeration module having a substantial longitudinal extension (for example for refrigerating bottles) with loading and discharging on the same side. A third built-in refrigerator device 24 ^vl is of the type provided with four refrigeration modules with loading and discharging on the same side.

Where the refrigerator device comprises plural refrigeration modules, it is possible to mark them for example with a label, so that the user can easily determine the type of elements to be refrigerated stored inside of each refrigeration module.

Obviously, as it will be apparent to a person skilled in the field, it is possible to implement several variants of the refrigerator devices having a different number and arrangement of the refrigeration modules, with respect to what has been described.

From the above mentioned description, the person skilled in the art could appreciate that the refrigeration module, according to the invention, enables a substantial energy saving. Indeed, the loading and withdrawing doors are kept opened just for brief periods and the corresponding openings can have a reduced size, so that the thermal dispersion is limited. For the same reasons, it is not too onerous taking the elements to be refrigerated to the selected temperature from the point of view of an energy cost (particularly, the energy quantity necessary for keeping in motion a compressor is limited). Further, it is possible to obtain limited refrigeration spaces, for the benefit of the energy efficiency.

Moreover, the refrigeration module, according to the invention, does not require the periodical rotation of the elements to be refrigerated inside it. Indeed, due to its arrangement, it is possible to ensure that the elements to be refrigerated can be extracted only with the sequence by which they were inserted. Therefore, there is no risk that a just inserted element to be refrigerated, which is still warm, is prematurely extracted.

To the described embodiments of the refrigeration module and refrigerator device, the person skilled in the art, in order to satisfy specific contingent needs, can introduce several additions, modifications or substitutions of elements with other operatively equivalent ones, without falling out of the scope of the attached claims.