I. Field Of The Invention:

This invention relates generally to refrigerated display systems, and more particularly to a portable, refrigerated, point-of-use display positionable on a shelf or other elevated support surface.

II . Discussion Of Background Art:

Refrigerated display cases have long been utilized in supermarkets, butcher shops, and the like to cool and display food products and beverages for sale to consumers. Display cabinets of this type typically have an elongated hollow configuration within which the food products are contained and are occasionally enclosed by one or more sliding window panels that extend forwardly and downwardly from a top of the cabinet. Displays of this type, however, are designed to be free-standing and may be from four to eight feet wide and approximately three feet deep. As will be readily appreciated, such displays are also quite heavy and require special floor layout accommodations to ensure consumer access without substantially interfering with foot traffic to other areas of the store. As such, this type of display is generally placed at the outer boundaries of a shopping area, i.e., proximate a wall, etc.

In an effort to influence consumers standing in line at the check-out counter to make a "last-minute" purchasing decision, smaller

refrigerated display cabinets designed to be positioned near the check-out lines have also been utilized. Such cabinets typically occupy a two foot by two foot area. Although the smaller cabinet design occupies substantially less space than the elongated configurations discussed above, they are still large enough to interfere with foot traffic. As such, displays of this type can only be placed where space permits and often necessitate substantial floor layout modifications to avoid obstructing foot traffic through the store.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,552,138 issued Jan. 5, 1971 to Davis discloses a "REFRIGERATED DISPLAY UNIT", which is an auxiliary display case mounted in front of and against the front case wall of a conventional or existing refrigerated grocery case. A U-shaped conduit is fitted over the back wall of the auxiliary case and the front wall of the existing case and a pump is provided for moving cool air from the front portion of the existing case into the rear portion of the auxiliary case. While the display unit disclosed by Davis is physically small enough to fit on a shelf, in practice, it cannot be so positioned because it requires an external supply of refrigerated air and is peculiarly adapted for mounting on an existing grocery case. It therefore suffers from the same placement limitations as the other cases discussed above. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a refrigerated display which can be positioned on any shelf and which can thus be moved to any desired location in a retail environment without necessitating the extensive

floor layout modifications characteristic of prior art refrigerated displays.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a refrigerated display having an efficient cool air flow arrangement for providing refrigerated air to a display area containing product and which incorporates means for providing ventilation to the refrigeration system employed by the display. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aforementioned objects, as well as other benefits and advantages which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, are provided by a refrigerated display unit which includes a main display housing defining a chamber and a display area having a bottom interior surface, opposed interior side surfaces, and a rear interior surface. The main display housing also includes a transparent cover for enclosing the display area. The transparent cover is pivotally or slidably secured to the main display housing and defines upper and front interior surface portions of the display area to provide maximum visibility of the products contained therein. A refrigeration system is included for supplying refrigerated air to the display area and comprises a fan situated within the chamber for recirculating air through the chamber and the enclosed display area and an evaporator unit positioned proximate the fan for cooling the recirculated air.

To facilitate the recirculation of air within the main display housing, a first of the display area interior surfaces defines an intake

duct for receiving the refrigerated air and a second of the interior surfaces defines an exhaust duct for supplying spent air to the chamber. To prevent recirculated air from bypassing the evaporator unit ^' , a plenum is preferably disposed between the intake duct and evaporator unit. The plenum receives air cooled by the evaporator and communicates with the intake duct to provide for flow of cooled air therethrough. In accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the bottom interior surface of the display area defines the intake duct and the rear interior surface of the display area defines the exhaust duct. The intake duct comprises a plurality of elongated slots defined in the first interior surface and the exhaust duct comprises a plurality of apertures defined in the second interior surface. The chamber includes a first section disposed beneath the bottom interior surface and a second section disposed behind the rear interior surface. The display area and the first and second chamber sections are separated by respective walls, with opposite surfaces of each respective wall defining an interior surface of a chamber section and an interior surface of the display area, respectively. The first and second chamber sections are in fluid communication with the enclosed display area and with each other to permit recirculating air flow therebetween.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the main display housing further defines a second chamber in which other components of the refrigeration system, including a condenser

section and a compressor section, are disposed. An insulating barrier is preferably interposed between the respective chambers so that heat released by the condenser section in the second chamber does not impede cooling of the recirculated air within the first chamber.

In accordance with an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the refrigerated display unit further includes a second housing positionable remotely from the main display housing and defining an interior chamber dimensioned to accommodate the condenser and compressor sections of the refrigeration system. To permit selective positioning of the second housing relative to the main display housing, a display unit constructed in accordance with this alternate embodiment further includes refrigerant flow connecting means in the form of flexible hoses for coupling the evaporator to the condenser and compressor sections. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of main display housings are included, each having an evaporator section coupled to a common condenser/compressor section by respective pairs of flexible hoses. The common condenser and compressor section is disposed within the interior of a remotely positionable housing.

In accordance with still another embodiment of the present invention, a refrigerated display unit is provided having a back section and a base section. The back section includes a front face for partially defining a back chamber which houses an evaporator portion of a refrigerator system. The back chamber further defines a plenum for providing air to the evaporator portion.

Refrigerated air is provided to a display area through a plurality of evaporator slots defined in the front face, proximate the base section. Positive pressure is provided to the plenum by a pair of fans mounted in and proximate the top of the front face. The fans also serve to remove from the display areas warm air which accumulates near the top portions thereof.

The remaining components of the refrigerator system, including the condenser and compressor, are contained in a bottom chamber in the base section, which is partially defined by a front wall and a rear wall. A plurality of elongated slots are defined in the front wall which allow for air to be drawn into the bottom chamber by a pair of base fans contained in the rear wall, thereby providing a mechanism for cooling the condenser and compressor. A back panel is also included for closing off the back chamber. The back panel is preferably configured to ensure against blocking of the base fans by a wall or other obstruction.

The foregoing as well as additional details of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and annexed drawing of the presently preferred embodiments thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view showing the construction details of an illustrative embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is partially cut away top view illustrating the internal arrangement of components

within the display housing in accordance with the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view partially cut away to illustrate the internal arrangement of components within the display housing in accordance with the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the display unit constructed in accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 1 arranged on a gondola display shelf;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a modified embodiment in which two display housings are connected to a single remotely positioned compressor/condenser section; FIG. 6 is a partially cut away side elevation view of a further embodiment of the present invention in which the condenser, evaporator and compressor are all arranged within the display housing; FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating still another modification of the present invention; and

FIG . 8 is a cross sectional view of the modification depicted in FIG . 7 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED

EMBODIMENTS

With initial reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a refrigerated display unit 10 constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As seen in FIG. 1, display unit 10 includes a main display housing or bin 12 having an enclosed display area 13 defined by bottom wall 14, rear wall section 16, opposite side members 18 and

20, and first and second transparent covers 22a and 22b which can be separately pivotally secured to rear wall section 16 by one or more hinges (not shown) , or slidably secured to rear wall 16 and bottom wall 14 by elongated slots (not shown) positioned in the upper interior edge of rear wall 16 and the front interior edge of bottom wall 14. For the pivotally secured embodiment, a strip of rigid material 21 is included which extends from the upper interior edge of rear section 16 to the front interior edge of bottom wall 14 for providing support for a lateral edge of each transparent cover.

To enable the consumer to view the interior of covered display bin 12 from all sides, covers 22a and 22b and side members 18 and 20 are preferably manufactured from a transparent, lightweight material such as plexiglass. A lightweight material is desired to enable the consumer to lift or slide the covers without undue exertion. Although the cover and side members are preferably made from the same material for aesthetic purposes, it should be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that different materials may be used.

In the illustrated embodiments described herein, transparent covers 22a and 22b collectively define front and upper interior surface portions 23 and 25 of the enclosed display area, respectively. Side members 18, 20 and covers 22a and 22b are preferably configured as individual components to keep the weight of the cover to a minimum. However, if a suitably lightweight material having the desired degree of transparency is utilized, it is

also possible to construct a single cover having the side members integrally provided thereon, or alternatively, to integrally form side members 18 and 20 as part of individual covers 22a and 22b, respectively. In any event, as will be readily ascertained by those skilled in the art, suitable gaskets (not shown) may be utilized where appropriate to prevent leakage of refrigerated air from the enclosed display area. As more clearly shown in FIG. 2, there is disposed immediately behind rear wall 16 a refrigerated air supply plenum 24 which extends transversely preferably the full width of the main display housing 12. In the illustrative embodiment, rear wall 16 is a common wall separating plenum 24 from the interior of the display area. Passage of refrigerated air from plenum 24 into the display area is thus facilitated by a plurality of elongated apertures or slots 26 defined in rear wall 16 (FIG. 1) .

As indicated, above, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a display case which is capable of operating without relying upon an external source of refrigerated air so that it may be positioned on any desired surface for point-of-sale display of goods. As such, display unit 10 utilizes a conventional, thermostat- controlled refrigeration system 28. As will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art, a conventional refrigeration system includes a compressor, a condenser, a liquid tank, an expansion valve or capillary tube, an evaporator, and an accumulator, all connected in series. Because such systems have long been in use and are deemed to be

very well known, a detailed illustration and description of the operation thereof has been omitted herein.

With continuing reference to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the evaporator portion 30 of refrigeration system 28, which portion includes fan 32 and evaporator 34, is positioned immediately behind plenum 24 and supplies refrigerated air thereto. The exterior of main display housing 12 includes exterior side walls 36 and 38, upper wall 40, rear wall 42, and a bottom wall (not shown) . Collectively these walls define a back chamber 44 for accommodating evaporator portion 30 and plenum 24. As best seen in FIG. 3, chamber 44 essentially defines a return air plenum communicating with evaporator portion 30 in order to re-cool and re-circulate air within the enclosed display area. For this purpose, a plurality of return air intake openings 47 are formed in bottom wall 14 (FIG. 1) . Arrows A, B, and C signify the direction of air flow, with arrow A showing the flow of spent or warm air after it has passed over grocery products (not shown) disposed in the display area of unit 10. The air is recirculated in the direction of the arrows by evaporator fan 32. As will be readily ascertained by those skilled in the art, however, additional fans may be placed in other areas of chamber 44 or within the plenum itself, in order to ensure a uniform flow pattern. After entering chamber 44 via apertures 47, the warmer returned air is diverted upward, as shown by arrow B, between the outer housing rear wall 42 and the evaporator portion 30. The air is re-cooled by

evaporator 34, passes through plenum 24, and re- enters the enclosed display area, as shown by arrow C.

Returning to FIG. 1, it will be seen that display unit 10 further includes a remote housing 48 for accommodating the remainder of refrigeration system 28, including the compressor 49 and condenser 51. Placing the condenser, compressor and other elements of the refrigeration system in remote housing 48 reduces the overall size of the system and permits easier access for recharging of refrigerant and other maintenance or repair operations which must typically be performed on such systems. Also provided are first and second fluid connection lines 50 and 52 for supplying refrigerant between the evaporator, compressor, and condenser components. For a purpose which will now be explained, the fluid connection lines are preferably configured as hoses and are made of a flexible material compatible with the refrigerant material being conveyed.

In accordance with the above described embodiment, the main display unit housing can be positioned on any counter or on any shelf which provides sufficient overhead clearance to enable upward pivoting of the cover. Of course, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that in order to avoid the need for overhead clearance associated with an upwardly pivoting cover and, as explained above, the cover can be alternatively configured as one or more sliding doors.

To further enhance the layout flexibility afforded by the display unit of the present invention, the remote housing which contains the

compressor and condensing elements of the refrigeration system can be moved to any location where space permits. With reference to FIG. 4, there is shown a typical installation in which main display housing 10 is positioned on an uppermost shelf 54 and remote housing 48 on the base shelf 56 of a gondola display rack system 58. It will, of course, be understood that if space permits, the remote housing may be placed on the same shelf as the main unit, or even suspended directly above the main unit. In any event, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the flexibility of hoses 50 and 52 permits a wide variety of arrangements which would not be possible if the hoses were constructed of metal or other rigid materials.

Turning to FIG. 5, there is shown a slightly modified embodiment of the display system of the present invention. Specifically, there are shown first and second main display housings 100 and 102, which are each constructed in an identical manner to that described above in connection with housing 10. However, rather than utilizing independent remote housings as remote housing 48 discussed above, the embodiment depicted in FIG. 5 utilizes common compressor and condenser sections

(not shown) located in a single housing 146. The evaporator sections (not shown) of each main display housing are connected to the common compressor and condenser sections by flexible hoses 150a, 152a and 150b and 152b, respectively, in a manner similar to that described above except that suitable means, such as corresponding "T" connectors (not shown) , must be utilized to connect hoses 150a, 150b and

152a, 152b to the common compressor and condenser sections, respectively.

In FIG. 6 there is illustrated a display unit 210 in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The construction of the embodiment presented in FIG. 6 is, in every material respect, identical to the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1-4, except that instead of utilizing a remote housing and the flexible refrigerant connections attendant therewith, compressor 249 and condenser 251 are disposed within a second chamber 268 separated from chamber 244. To prevent heat released by condenser unit 251 from increasing the temperature of air recirculating within chamber 244, an insulating barrier 270 is preferably provided therebetween. Although chamber 268 is shown positioned beneath chamber 244, it may, in fact, be positioned over the top, or adjacent the side walls, of chamber 244, if desired. Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, still another embodiment of the refrigerator display unit is depicted. As shown, the display unit 300 has a base section 302 and a back section 304 connected thereto, both acting in concert along with a cover 322 and sides 323a and 323b for defining a display area 313. Back section 304 is comprised of a front face 306, side members 308a, 308b, a top panel or member 310 and a bottom panel or member 311, which cooperate to partially define a back chamber 314 for housing part of the refrigeration system 328 as more fully described below. Base section 302 has a top surface or shelf 316, a bottom surface 318, side members 320a, 320b, a rear wall 324 and a front wall 326 for defining a bottom chamber 327 which houses

the remaining components of the refrigeration system 328. Except for fluid communication lines 348 which connect both sections of refrigeration system 328 together in a manner well known to those having ordinary skill in the art, bottom chamber 327 is otherwise completely isolated from back chamber 314. As in the embodiments discussed hereinabove, display area 313 may contain one or more shelves 352 for accommodating the placement of product thereon. Product can also be placed directly on top surface 316.

Front face 306 of back section 304 contains a pair of holes (not shown) proximate side member 308b for accommodating a pair of fans 330 positioned proximate top member 310 and oriented to remove air from display area 313. Back section 304 also contains a plurality of evaporator apertures or slots 324 located, as shown, proximate side member 308a and top surface 316 of base section 304 for providing refrigerated air to display area 313. It should readily be understood that although a pair of fans 330 is presently preferred to remove air from display area 313, other means known to persons of ordinary skill in the art may be substituted therefor. In addition, for efficient circulation of air in display area 313, it is presently preferred that evaporator slots 332 and fans 330 are positioned proximate opposite side members 308a and 308b. However, other placement arrangements of evaporator slots 332 and fans 330 are also possible as will be appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art who read this description. Any such alternatives are intended to be within the present invention.

The evaporator portion 336 of the refrigeration system 328 is housed in back chamber 314 and is in communication with one end of the refrigerated air supply plenum 334 for providing refrigerated air to the display area 313 via the plurality of evaporator slots 332. The pair of fans 330 is in communication with the other end of plenum 334 and remove from display area 313 the warmer air which accumulates at the upper portion thereof. The fans 330 also serve to circulate the removed warm air to the other end of the plenum for cooling by the evaporator 336. Thus, refrigerated air provided to display area 313 is circulated in a direction indicated by arrows A', B' and C in FIG. 8. For energy conservation purposes, the display 300 includes an insulation layer 338 which closes off and further defines back chamber 314 and which serves to maintain the air in plenum 334 at a reduced temperature by further insulating the plenum from the environment. A back panel 350 is provided for covering the insulation layer 338. For reasons explained more fully below, back panel 350 may be dimensioned for defining a recessed area which functions to house a portion of the insulation layer 338 while simultaneously providing a feature for accommodating ventilation of the compressor section of the refrigeration system 328.

The compressor section of refrigeration system 328, which includes a condenser 340 and a compressor 346, is housed in bottom chamber 327 which is isolated from both the display area 313 and the back chamber 314 and which communicates with evaporator portion 336 through fluid connection lines 348 which pass through holes

(not shown) in bottom member 311. As shown, condenser 340 and compressor 346 are cooled by the cooperation of a pair of base fans 342 positioned in rear wall 324, and a plurality of base aperture slots 344 defined in front wall 326. Base fans 342 communicate bottom chamber 327 with the environment and thus are oriented for drawing air from outside bottom chamber 327 through base slots 344 in a direction indicated by arrows D' and E' in FIG. 8, whereby the air passes over and removes heat from condenser 340 and compressor 346. The air is then expelled from the bottom chamber through apertures (not shown) in rear wall 324 in which base fans 342 are seated. Again, although fans are presently preferred for this purpose, any other suitable means for drawing air through base aperture slots 344 for cooling condenser 340 and compressor 346 may be employed.

For the display 300 to function properly, ventilation must be provided for cooling the condenser 340 and the compressor 346 and thus, air flow through bottom chamber 327 should be continuous. As can be appreciated, air flow through bottom chamber 327 can be unintentionally interrupted by either obstructing the entrance of air through the plurality of base slots 344 or by blocking the expulsion of air by failing to provide adequate clearance for base fans 342. To ensure against blockage of the base slots 344, which may, for example, occur when articles are placed on a counter at the front of the unit 300, the front wall 326 is angled downwardly as shown in FIG. 8. Thus, if articles are placed in front of the unit or in

proximity of base slots 344, only a portion, if any, of the base slots will be obstructed.

To provide adequate clearance for base fans 342, and as best seen in Fig. 8, in the preferred embodiment back panel 350 is spaced rearwardly from rear wall 324 which houses base fans 342. This feature prevents blockage of base fans 342 by ensuring that the base fans are positioned away from a wall or other surface which, might otherwise interfere with the expulsion of air from the bottom chamber 327.

As explained above, in a preferred embodiment the inner surface of back panel 350 defines a recessed area for receiving at least a portion of the insulation layer 338, thereby accommodating a thick insulation layer for maximizing efficient insulation of evaporator 336 and plenum 334. A second insulation layer 352 may be also provided on the underside of surface 316 for insulating the refrigerated display area 313 from the heat generated in bottom chamber 327 by condenser 340 and compressor 346.

The embodiments of the display system of this invention are particularly suited for displaying beverages wherein it is necessary to provide both easy access to the display and a sufficient cooling capacity so that the beverages are maintained at a temperature desirable for immediate consumption. However, although the air flow across the displayed articles provides a highly desirable shelf-mounted display case for beverages, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that other items may be displayed, and this invention is not limited to the display of beverages.

With continued reference to the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 7 and 8, the surface area upon which products are stored and displayed can be further increased by the addition of shelf 352 which is preferably connected at its back edge to front face 306 by a pair of brackets (not shown) and which is supported at its front edge by a pair of legs 354 extending downwardly to top surface 316. As can be appreciated, shelf 352 accommodates the storage of products thereon as well as underneath, i.e. directly on surface 316.

It should be noted that unlike the embodiments discussed hereinabove, the recirculation of air in the embodiment depicted in FIGS . 7 and 8 does not occur through top surface 316 of base section 304. In other words, evaporator slots 332 which provide cool air to display area 313 and fans 330 which remove warmer air from the display area are both located in front face 306. Thus, as opposed to the previously discussed embodiments wherein placement of product directly on top surface 316 may obstruct air flow in display area 313, product can now be displayed on all portions of top surfaces 316 without compromising air flow. As the display 300 is intended for refrigerating beverages and preferably beverages packaged in bottles and cans, the round surfaces of such packaged beverages allow for their placement proximate the evaporator slots 332 without obstructing air flow therethrough. Although the means employed in the embodiment of FIGS . 7 and 8 for ensuring unobstructed air flow through chamber 327, back wall 350 spaced from rear wall 324 and an angled front wall 326, other configuration accomplishing this

objective will be readily apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art who read the foregoing description. For example, instead of or in addition to spacing back wall 350 from rear wall 324, side members 320a and 320b may be extended beyond rear wall 324 for preventing blockage of base fans 342. As another alternative, a pair of protrusions may extend outwardly from rear wall 324 or from back panel 350 to ensure positioning of base fans 342 away from any confronting wall, cabinet or other obstruction. Similarly, in lieu of or in addition to angled wall 326 for preventing obstruction of slots 344, a plurality of fans or other elements protruding from wall 326 may be provided. Still other embodiments will be readily apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art.

Although for maximum efficiency the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 7 and 8 is designed to take into account that warm air rises and is, therefore, configured with evaporator slots 332 -- which provide cool air to display area 313 positioned proximate the bottom of the display area and fans 330 -- which remove warmer air from display area 313 -- positioned proximate the top of the display area, the position of these elements can be altered or even interchanged, though it is anticipated that the efficiency of the resulting display will be somewhat compromised.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a currently preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the apparatus illustrated,

and its operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. In addition, it is to be understood that the drawings are not drawn to scale and are merely conceptual in nature. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.