Abstract:
A swivel machine compartment that is built to rotate is provided. In one embodiment, the swivel machine compartment of the present invention is built to turn 90 degrees or more. The rotating mechanism allows the opening such as louver panels on a cabinet to be located on a side or the front of a cabinet. Thus, the position of a swivel machine compartment can be rotated to face the opening on the cabinet.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates generally to drop-in equipment, and more particularly, to a rotatable housing used in drop-in equipments.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    Drop-in equipment refers to food stands or carts that have one or more recessed parts where food trays may be inserted. These drop-in equipments typically include some sort of compressor to support refrigeration system for keeping the food to a desired temperature. Drop-in equipment is frequently built into buffet counters or customized cabinets to suit the owner&#39;s décor and improve the surroundings aesthetically. Because the appearance of these cabinets is important to the owner, the cabinets are often made of fine wood and other decorative materials. The cabinets, however, must also serve functional purpose and be able to accommodate equipments that need ventilation and sufficient amount of air flow.  
           [0003]    The challenge of building equipments such as self-contained refrigerated equipments requiring ventilation to function properly has been to provide a properly functioning unit that can be incorporated into the cabinet with minimum effect to the appearance. While large openings are desirable for maximum functional requirement of ventilation, these large openings or even many smaller sized openings are not desirable for appearances. And, in many instances, it is the functional aspect, e.g., airflow, which is compromised or sacrificed in favor of the aesthetics.  
           [0004]    The most a drop-in manufacturer can do is to minimize the number and size of openings or access panels that need to be incorporated into the cabinet and to give the cabinet maker some flexibility in locating the openings and access panels.  
           [0005]    Typically, a drop-in manufacturer does not build the cabinet that houses the unit. Accordingly, there is no assurance that a cabinet maker will take the necessary steps to ensure adequate ventilation for the units the cabinet houses. A cabinet maker seldom has a capability to design a cabinet that can house a unit near enough to ventilation openings as to prevent overheating. Further, a cabinet maker almost never incorporates any ducts to ensure enough ventilation, e.g., fresh air, to, e.g., a condenser.  
           [0006]    Although most drop-in equipment manufactures suggest at least two ventilation openings, many cabinet makes do not follow the suggestions because the openings would not be aesthetically pleasing on a finished cabinet. The result is frequent and premature compressor failures in the drop-in equipments because the cabinets that house these drop-in equipments do not provide openings for the needed ventilation.  
           [0007]    Another disadvantage or inconvenience caused by existing drop-in equipments in existing cabinets is the inaccessibility to these equipments inside the cabinets. E.g., all self-contained air-cooled refrigeration equipment requires regular cleaning of the condenser coil that rejects the heat from refrigerated compartments. In drop-in applications, access to the condenser can be difficult unless the cabinet maker provides an access panel just for that purpose. Frequently, however, a cabinet maker does not want to make another access panel large enough, or frequently cannot make a useful access panel that is practical with the cabinet. Furthermore, if condenser is not easily visible, the owner/operator is not going to know that the condenser needs cleaning until the equipment malfunctions. Consequently, regular cleaning of the condenser is often neglected, the drop-in runs inefficiently, and ultimately the life of the refrigeration system is also compromised.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    A swivel machine compartment that is built to turn is provided. In one embodiment, the swivel machine compartment of the present invention is built to turn 90 degrees or more. The turning mechanism allows the opening such as louver panels on a cabinet to be located on a side or the front. Thus, the position of a swivel machine compartment can be adjusted to face the openings on the cabinet.  
           [0009]    In one aspect, the swivel machine compartment includes a built-in telescoping air duct that may be pulled out to an opening area on the cabinet. The built-in telescoping air duct ensures that fresh air passes through the condenser even when the condenser is not located near the fresh air source. In one aspect, the built-in telescoping air duct also ensure that old heated or exhausted air inside the cabinet surrounding the compressor does not get mixed with incoming fresh air.  
           [0010]    In one aspect, the swivel machine compartment is designed so that all control mechanisms needed for normal operation is accessible through one opening. E.g., the cabinet maker may choose to rotate the compartment and properly align it with the single opening. In one aspect, the swivel machine compartment is compact, e.g., the size of a single opening. The swivel machine may also be unbolted from the bottom of the drop-in and dropped down the floor of the cabinet, moved around, to accommodate the cabinet design and still assure airflow and necessary access.  
           [0011]    In one aspect, the swivel machine compartment may be located on one end of the drop in. Not only does this give the cabinet maker the option of having end or side access, but also leaves other space inside the cabinet free for use as storage space if desired.  
           [0012]    Further features and advantages of the present invention as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 illustrates components of a swivel machine compartment in one embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 illustrates components of a swivel machine shown in FIG. 1 when rotated 90 degrees;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 illustrates components used in rotably attaching a swivel machine compartment to drop-in equipment body;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 illustrates a swivel machine as rotably attached to a reinforcement plate;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 illustrates a swivel machine as attached to drop-in equipment;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 illustrates a compressor housed in a housing having an air duct that can be pulled out to the back or side wall of a cabinet;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 7 illustrates an air duct of FIG. 6, having a bottom portion; and  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 8 illustrates a compressor housed in drop-in equipment housing with an air duct pulled out to a louver panel that may cover a wall of a cabinet. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0022]    [0022]FIG. 1 illustrates components of a swivel machine compartment in one embodiment of the present invention. A frame or housing  102  houses a compressor unit (shown in FIG. 6) that is covered by air duct  104 . The compressor units are typically connected to drop-in cold pans placed above the compressor units. Self-contained drop-in cold pans have a refrigeration compressor hanging from the bottom of the unit. The housing  102  includes an opening at the top where connections to drop-in cold pans can be made. An opening  116  at the top of the housing  102  allows refrigeration line access to the cold pans placed above the compressor units.  
         [0023]    The housing  102  is rotably attached to cold pan unit for rotating the housing  102 . In one embodiment, the housing  102  is rotated about 90 degrees to adjust to the opening in a cabinet, i.e., to allow the air intake side of compressor sitting inside the housing to face a corresponding opening in a cabinet, regardless of where the opening is in the cabinet.  
         [0024]    In one embodiment, the housing includes a top portion  124  as described above, a bottom portion  128  that, e.g., supports a compressor unit, and a plurality of side portions  126  connecting the top portion  124  and the bottom portion  128 . In one embodiment, the space between the top portion  124  and the bottom  126  portion is substantially open at the sides except for the connecting side portions  126 .  
         [0025]    In one embodiment, the rotable attachment is achieved by having four slits  114   a ,  114   b ,  114   c ,  114   d  around the top of the housing  102 . Each slit is disconnected from one another, but together makes up an approximate circle shape around center of the top of the housing  102 . The rotation is achieved by having four bolts  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c ,  110   d , each positioned to fit into one of the slits  114   a ,  114   b ,  114   c ,  114   d  respectively, passing through a reinforcement plate  120  through holes  112   a ,  112   b ,  112   c ,  112   d , then through cold pan bottom that connects to the top of the housing  102 .  
         [0026]    Rotating mechanism is not limited to the above-described four slits. E.g., a complete circular opening may be used to allow bolts to rotate completely about the center of the top portion, e.g., 360 degrees. Further, any other rotating mechanism may be utilized to allow the housing  102  to be rotated while cold pan drop-in equipment that the housing  102  is attached to remains stationary.  
         [0027]    Reinforcement plate  120  typically sits inside a cold pan whose bottom is placed in contact with the top of the housing  102  when the bolts  110   a,    110   b ,  110   c ,  110   d  are tightened. The turning mechanism allows the opening such as a louver panel  106  on a cabinet to be located on a side or the front. An opening  116  on top of the housing aligned with an opening  118  on the reinforcement plate  120 , allows refrigeration access lines or cables to be connected from the compressor unit to the cold pan.  
         [0028]    Rotating mechanism is not limited to the above-described four slits. E.g., a complete circular opening may be used to allow bolts to rotate completely about the center of the top portion, e.g., 360 degrees. Further, any other rotating mechanism may be utilized to allow the housing  102  to be rotated while cold pan drop-in equipment that the housing  102  is attached to remains stationary.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 2 illustrates components of a swivel machine compartment shown in FIG. 1 when rotated 90 degrees. As shown, the housing  102  having a compressor unit is rotated 90 degrees to face the louver panel  106  opening in a cabinet. As a result, the air intake portion of a compressor unit directly faces cabinet&#39;s opening.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 3 illustrates components used in rotably attaching a swivel machine compartment to drop-in equipment body. The housing  302  is attached to outer tray  332  of drop-in equipment with bolts  310   a ,  310   b ,  310   c ,  310   d  passing through holes  312   a ,  312   b ,  312   c ,  314   d  on a reinforcement plate  320 , and through holes (not shown) on inner bottom of the outer tray  332 , then through the slits  314   a ,  314   b ,  314   c ,  314   d  on top of the housing  302 . A food tray  330 , e.g., may be placed over the reinforcement plate  320 . As a result, air intake portion of compressor may be turned to face a louver panel  306  opening on a cabinet, wherever the opening on a cabinet maybe positioned.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 4 illustrates a swivel machine as rotably attached with bolts driven into a reinforcement plate. Bolts  410   a ,  410   b ,  410   c ,  410   d  are inserted into the holes on the reinforcement plate  420 , and into the slits on top of the housing  402 . The housing  420  then can be rotated by having the bolts travel along the slits. The housing  420  houses a compressor unit  408 , covered with air duct  404  that can be pulled out towards a cabinet wall where a louver panel  406  is attached. Although FIG. 4 does not show a tray, typically, outer tray of drop-in equipment is placed between the reinforcement plate  420  and the housing  402 .  
         [0032]    The housing  406  also includes a control panel plate  438  on the same side as the air intake opening  422  to provide easy access to control knobs. E.g., when the compressor is placed inside a cabinet, by detaching the louver panel  406  from a cabinet wall, control knobs as well as the entire air intake section  422  of the compressor is easily accessible.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 5 illustrates a swivel machine attached to drop-in equipment. The housing  502  is rotably attached to drop-in equipment outer tray  532 . A food tray  530  is placed inside the outer tray  532  for, e.g., holding food. A reinforcement plate (not shown) may be placed inside the outer tray  532  below the food tray  530 , to reinforce the rotation mechanism. As a result, housing  502  may be rotated without rotating the drop-in equipment trays  530 ,  532 . The air intake opening section of the compressor faces an opening in a cabinet, e.g., covered with a louver panel  506 .  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 6 illustrates a compressor housed in a housing having an air duct that can be pulled out to the back or side wall of a cabinet. The housing  602  houses a compressor unit  606  and includes an air duct  604  that can be pulled out. The air duct  604 , e.g., forms an inner shell inside the housing and covers all or part of the compressor when inside the housing. The air duct  604  is adapted to slide out of an opening on a side of the housing towards a cabinet wall. When pulled out the opening  622  of the air duct  604  coincides with an opening in a cabinet wall.  
         [0035]    When the air duct  604  is pulled out to, e.g., a louver panel ( 506  FIG. 5) covering an opening in a cabinet, fresh air going into the housing  602  through an opening  622  via the air duct  604  does not mix with old heated air inside the housing  602 .  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 7 illustrates an air duct of FIG. 6, having the bottom part. The air duct in FIG. 7 includes a bottom portion to additionally ensure that fresh air for the compressor  706  does not get mixed with old heated air inside the housing  702 .  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 8 illustrates a compressor housed in drop-in equipment housing with an air duct pulled out to a louver panel that may cover a wall of a cabinet. Fresh air, e.g., flows in through one grid area ( 806   a ) of a louver panel  806  and heated air leaves the housing  802  through a second grid area ( 806   b ) of the louver panel  806 , ensuring that the compressing air intake area is exposed to as much fresh air as possible. A control knob plate  838  is positioned on the side facing the louver panel  806  for easy access to control knobs.  
         [0038]    While the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.