Field-installable refrigerated cabinet kit with on-cabinet refrigeration system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022087446-A1
Application number	US-202117481747-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 22, 2021
Priority date	Sep 24, 2020
Publication date	Mar 24, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

In a field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit, a prefabricated refrigeration system module releasably and operatively connects to a separate cabinet module via mutual connection fittings to form a refrigerated merchandiser. The refrigerated merchandiser can have multiple refrigeration systems cooling a common refrigerated space inside the cabinet, each with an independent temperature controller. A refrigeration system can be disconnected from the cabinet only by separating releasable fasteners and disconnecting electrical plug-in connections. Each refrigeration system is prefabricated with integrated condensate removal. The refrigeration system mounts entirely above the top wall of the cabinet enabling deployment at zero offset from a backing structure. The refrigerated merchandiser can be deployed to occupy a footprint and have a ratio of shelf space volume to foot print greater than 3.25 ft 3 /ft 2 .

First claim

1 . A field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit comprising:
a cabinet module having an exterior and an interior and configured to define a free refrigerated space in the interior; and a prefabricated refrigeration system module configured to operatively connect to the cabinet module for cooling the free refrigerated space; wherein the prefabricated refrigeration system module is separate from the cabinet module; wherein the prefabricated refrigeration system module and the cabinet module comprise mutual connection fittings configured to releasably and operatively connect the prefabricated refrigeration system module to the cabinet module for cooling the interior of the cabinet module.

2 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the mutual connection fittings are configured to releasably and operatively connect the prefabricated refrigeration system module to the cabinet module such that an entirety of the prefabricated refrigeration system module is on the exterior of the cabinet module.

3 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the prefabricated refrigeration system module is charged with natural refrigerant.

4 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the natural refrigerant is r290 refrigerant.

5 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the prefabricated refrigeration system module comprises a hermetically sealed refrigeration circuit.

6 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in any of claim 1 , wherein each of the cabinet and the prefabricated refrigeration system module is configured to fit through a doorway having a height of less than or equal to seven feet.

7 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 6 , wherein the free refrigerated space has a free refrigerated space cross-sectional area in a front-to-back plane perpendicular to a width of the cabinet, the free refrigerated space cross-sectional area being at least 1350 square inches.

8 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 7 , wherein the free refrigerated space has a height of at least 65 inches.

9 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 7 , wherein the free refrigerated space has a front-to-back depth of at least 30 inches.

10 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 7 , wherein the free refrigerated space cross-sectional area is at least 1900 square inches.

11 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the cabinet module has a back wall and wherein the field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit is configured to be deployed with the back wall of the cabinet module adjacent a backing structure.

12 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit is configured to be deployed with the back wall of the cabinet module adjacent the backing structure such that the back wall is spaced apart from the backing structure in a back-to-front direction by less than three inches.

13 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit is configured to be deployed with the back wall of the cabinet module at zero offset from the backing structure.

14 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the cabinet module comprises one of a kick plate and a door defining a front-most plane of the cabinet module.

15 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 14 , wherein the field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit is configured to be deployed against the backing structure such that the front-most plane is spaced apart from the backing structure by a front-to-back distance of less than or equal to 40 inches.

16 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the cabinet module has a width and wherein the field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit is configured to be deployed with the back wall of the cabinet module adjacent the backing structure such that the field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit occupies a footprint equal to the width times a front-to-back-distance from the front of the cabinet to the backing structure.

17 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 16 , wherein the cabinet module has a pack-out volume within the free refrigerated space.

18 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 17 , wherein a ratio of the pack-out volume to the occupied footprint is greater than 3.25 ft 3 /ft 2 .

19 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the cabinet module comprises a plurality shelves.

20 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 19 , wherein each of the shelves has a front-to-back shelf depth of greater than 24 inches.

21 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 19 , wherein the plurality of shelves includes a plurality of cantilevered shelves and a bottom shelf below the cantilevered shelves.

22 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 21 , wherein the cantilevered shelves have a front-to-back shelf depth and the bottom shelf has a front-to-back shelf depth greater than the front-to-back shelf depth of the cantilevered shelves.

23 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 19 , wherein the free refrigerated space includes shelf space above the plurality of shelves, the shelf space being greater than 1550 square inches.

24 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the prefabricated refrigeration module comprises an integrated condensate removal system.

25 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the cabinet module comprises a top wall defining an upper end of the interior, the top wall including some of the mutual connection fittings.

26 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 25 , wherein the mutual connection fittings are configured to releasably and operatively connect the prefabricated refrigeration system module to the cabinet module entirely above the top wall of the interior of the cabinet module for cooling the free refrigerated space.

27 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 26 , wherein the prefabricated refrigeration system module comprises a base, a complete refrigeration circuit supported on the base, and at least one mounting rail configured to be releasably fastened to the top wall of the cabinet module.

28 . The field-installable refrigerated merchandiser kit as set forth in claim 27 , wherein the prefabricated refrigeration system module is configured to be lifted from a lower support surface onto the top wall of the cabinet module and wherein the rail is configured to provide a beam that limits bending of the base under weight of the complete

Assignees

• True Mfg Co Inc

Inventors

• Friend John
• Fontechhio Joseph
• Pizzi Christian
• Pestka Daniel

Classifications

• F25D19/00

  Arrangement or mounting of refrigeration units with respect to devices {or objects to be refrigerated, e.g. infrared detectors} · CPC title

• F25D2700/02

  Sensors detecting door opening · CPC title

• F25D21/08

  by electric heating · CPC title

• F25B2600/112

  of evaporator fans · CPC title

• F25D2700/12

  Sensors measuring the inside temperature · CPC title