Arrangement for dispensing refrigerated or frozen goods

Abstract: An arrangement for furnishing refrigerated or frozen goods (14) shows a container (12) with at least one compartment (13), which is filled with the goods from above and at the bottom is provided with an opening (18) for taking out the goods. The container (12) is surrounded by a hood (22). The goods are refrigerated by circulating air (34, 36). A part of the circulating air is brought to flow in a gap (24) between the container (12) and the hood (22) and after that in an air curtain (38) over the opening (18).

Description: The invention refers to an arrangement for dispensing refrigerated or frozen goods comprising a magazine, which is filled with the goods from above and at the bottom has an opening for taking out the goods. The magazine is surrounded by a casing and the goods are refrigerated by air circulated inside the casing. Such an arrangement is known through US patent No. 4 663 943, where the goods are dispensed through an opening which is covered by a door on the casing, which door prevents the refrigerating air from leaking out through the opening. The object of the present invention is to simplify the known arrangement so that the door can be spared, which makes it easier for a customer to take out the goods, without refrigerating air getting lost through the opening. This object is obtained through the arrangement according to the invention whereby the magazine is constituted by a container with at least one compartment, an opening is arranged in the container, and a portion of the circulating air flows through a gap between the container and the casing and then in an air curtain over the opening. Embodiments of arrangements according to the present invention are described below in connection with the enclosed drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the arrangement with compartments for goods, Fig. 2 is a view according to the marking II in Fig. 1, Fig. 3A is a sectional view according to the marking III-III in Fig. 1 of a first embodiment, and Fig. 3B is a sectional view according to the marking III-III in Fig. 1 of a second embodiment. By 10 is designated an underbody, on which a container 12 with eight compartments 13 for goods 14, e.g. ice-cream cornets, and a central chamber 15, is arranged. Each respective compartment 13 has at a top thereof an opening 16 for refilling of goods and at the bottom thereof an opening 18 for taking goods out. A baffle 20 arranged above the opening 18 prevents the goods from falling out through the opening 18. A hood 22 is arranged over the container 12 and at a distance from it, so that a vertical gap 24 is formed between the sides of the container 12 and the hood 22 and a gap 26 is formed between the upper edges of the container 12 and the hood 22. The hood 22 has a lower edge 28, which is located at the same level as the upper edge of the opening 18. The goods are refrigerated by circulating air, which in turn, is refrigerated by an evaporator 30 of a refrigerating apparatus (not shown) arranged in the underbody 10. A fan 32 blows the air through the evaporator 30 to the central chamber 15, from where the air flows further into the gap 26. From the gap 26 the air splits up into a first flow 34, which goes through the compartments 13, and a second flow 36, which goes through the gap 24. The second flow 36 leaves the gap 24 at the lower edge 28 and continues as an air curtain 38 past the opening 18 to an air inlet gap 40 of the underbody, from where the air is drawn further on to the fan 32. The container 12 and the hood 22 are made of a transparent material, so that a customer can see the goods 14 in the compartments 13. New goods can be filled into the compartments 13 after the hood 22 has been lifted off or after a lid (not shown) in the upper part of the hood has been opened. The hood 22 is given a heat insulated structure, e.g. by its walls being made of glass or plastic in several layers with an air gap between the layers. The compartments 13 can have a rectangular or square cross section shape (Fig. 3A), and the hood 22 can have a corresponding cross-section shape. The compartments 13 can also have a sector-like cross section shape as the compartments, which are shown in Fig. 3B, and the hood 22 can have a circular cross section shape. When one of the goods 14 is taken out it first passes through the opening 18, then through the air curtain 38 and after that through an opening 42, which is formed between the lower edge 28 of the hood and an outer edge 44 of the air inlet gap 40 in the underbody 10. The air flows 34 and 36 join each other in the air inlet gap 40. In the embodiment in Fig. 3B the edge 44 is circular. The walls of the container 12 between the compartments 13 can be made movable, through which the size of the compartments 13 can be changed. In order that the air flow 34 shall not steal too much air from the flow 36 and by that from the air curtain 38, the flow 34 can be restricted by a lid being put over the opening 16 and the air instead being allowed to flow into the compartment 13 through small openings taken up in its wall against the chamber 15.

Claims: Arrangement for dispensing refrigerated or frozen goods (14) comprising a magazine (12), which is filled with goods from above and, at a bottom defines an opening (18) through which goods are taken out of the magazine, the magazine being surrounded by a casing (22) covering a top and sides of the magazine and the goods being refrigerated by air (34, 36) circulated inside the casing, characterized in that the magazine is constituted by a container (12) with at least one compartment (13), the opening (18) is located at a botton of the container (12) and in that a portion of the circulating air (36) flows through a gap (24) between the container (12) and the casing (22) and then in an air curtain (38) over the opening (18). Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that an other portion of the circulating air (34) flows through the compartment (13). Arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that the other portion of the circulating air (34) flowing through the compartment (13) leaves the compartment and joins the air curtain (38). Arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the casing is constituted by a hood (22), which is placed over the container (12). Arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the container (12) has a plurality of compartments and the compartments are arranged adjacent to each other around a central chamber (15). Arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that each compartment has a rectangular or quadratic cross section. Arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that each compartment has a sector-like cross section. Arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the container (12) and the casing (22) are transparent.

Inventors: LILJA GUNNAR, LILJA, GUNNAR
Applicants: ELECTROLUX AB, AKTIEBOLAGET ELECTROLUX
Application year: 1995
Main classification: A47F3
IPC codes: F25D25, A47F3, F25D17, A47F1