Cabinet cooler

• US 20030001468A1
• Filed: 08/22/2002
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonoco Development Inc (Sonoco Products Company)
• Original Assignee: H & R Industries, Inc.
• Inventors: Wiechen, Paul W., Arnold, David A., Hase, Gary M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,572,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 312/236
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2031/007 for carrying plates
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 31/02 with heating, cooling or ventilating means
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 2003/066 with movable or removable trolley for easy restocking
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/06 with movable or removable shelves or receptacles A47F3/0486 takes precedence; display racks with movable parts A47F5/0081
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 5/137 having wheels
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/20 Carts specially adapted for transporting objects to be cooled
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 25/00 Charging, supporting, and discharging the articles to be cooled
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 3/125 Movable containers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 165/919 Wheeled

Abstract

The present invention provides a novel cabinet cooler. The cabinet cooler has an open housing defined by a lower wall, a rear wall, opposite side walls, and a top wall. The lower wall has a plurality of wheels positioned on a bottom thereof so that the cabinet cooler can be easily moved. The lower wall also has a pair of slots therethrough having flexible seals therein such that a wheeled rack can be rolled into the opening of the housing. A door attached to one of the side walls can close the housing once the rack is wheeled into the housing. A plurality of fans pull air over dry ice cell(s) to cool the air within the housing and force the cooled air over the rack, which can hold a plurality of trays capable of holding food.

Claims

1. A cabinet cooler comprising:

a housing having a lower wall, a pair of opposite side walls, a rear wall, and a top wall, said walls defining a cavity within said housing;

a pair of slots provided in said lower wall;

a pair of seals mounted to each said slot;

means for covering said cavity within said housing;

a plurality of wheels attached to said lower wall of said housing;

an upper slot provided in each said side wall proximate to said top wall;

a lower slot provided in each said side wall below said upper slot;

a partition mounted within said housing, said partition extending vertically upwardly from said lower wall of said housing to a position proximate to said lower slots, said partition further extending between said pair of opposite side walls of said housing and being spaced from said rear wall of said housing, said partition having at least one aperture therethrough, said partition, said rear wall, and said side walls defining an opening proximate to a top end of said partition;

at least one fan mounted between said partition and said rear wall of said housing, said at least one fan being in communication with said opening and said at least one aperture;

a panel being slidably mounted within said lower slots, said panel having a length that is smaller than a length of said side walls, said panel being capable of sliding within said lower slots of said side walls from a position where said panel abuts against said rear wall of said housing and covers said opening, to a position where said panel is spaced from said rear wall of said housing and uncovers said opening; and

a dry ice storage for holding dry ice, said dry ice storage being removably mounted within said upper slots and between said panel and said top wall of said housing, said dry ice storage having a wall being at least partially covered by a mesh screen.

2. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 1, in combination with a rack, said rack including first, second, third and fourth vertical legs, each said vertical leg having a wheel at a lower end thereof, a plurality of horizontal support members connected between said first and second vertical legs, a plurality of horizontal support members connected between said third and fourth vertical legs, a first diagonal member proximate to said wheels for connecting two of vertical legs together, a second diagonal member distal from said wheels for connecting said second and third vertical legs, and a third diagonal member distal from said wheels for connecting said first and fourth vertical legs, said vertical legs of said rack capable of being positioned within said slots of said lower wall of said housing such that said rack can be positioned within said opening of said housing.

3. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 1, wherein said panel is formed of one of fiberglass and polyethylene with urethane insulation.

4. A cabinet cooler comprising:

a housing having a lower wall, a pair of opposite side walls, a rear wall, and a top wall, said walls defining a cavity within said housing;

means for covering said opening in said housing;

a partition mounted within said housing and spaced from said rear wall, said partition, said rear wall and said side walls defining an opening proximate to a top end of said partition, said partition having at least one aperture therethrough;

at least one fan mounted between said partition and said rear wall of said housing, said at least one fan being in communication with said opening and said at least one aperture in said partition;

a panel being slidably mounted along said side walls of said housing, said panel being capable of being slid to cover or uncover said opening; and

a dry ice storage being mounted between said panel and said top wall of said housing.

5. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 4, wherein said lower wall of said housing has a pair of slots therethrough.

6. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 5, in combination with a rack, said rack being capable of being positioned within said slots such that said rack can be positioned within said cavity within said housing.

7. The combination as defined in claim 6, wherein said rack includes first, second, third and fourth vertical legs, each said vertical leg having a wheel at a lower end thereof, a plurality of horizontal support members connected between said first and second vertical legs, a plurality of horizontal support members connected between said third and fourth vertical legs, a first diagonal member proximate to said wheels for connecting two of said vertical legs together, a second diagonal member distal from said wheels for connecting said second and third vertical legs, and a third diagonal member distal from said wheels for connecting said first and fourth vertical legs, said vertical legs of said rack capable of being positioned within said slots of said lower wall of said housing such that said rack can be positioned within said opening of said housing.

8. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 5, further including a pair of seals connected to said lower wall of said housing in each said slot.

9. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 4, further including a plurality of wheels attached to said lower wall of said housing.

10. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 4, wherein said covering means is a door hingedly connected to one of said side walls.

11. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 4, wherein said covering means is a plurality of vinyl straps suspended from said top wall of said housing.

12. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 4, wherein each said side wall has an upper slot proximate to said top wall of said housing in which said dry ice storage is mounted and a lower slot below said upper slot, said panel being slidably mounted in said lower slot.

13. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 12, wherein said panel has a length that is smaller than a length of said side walls of said housing, said panel being capable of sliding within said lower slots of said side walls from a position where said panel abuts against said rear wall of said housing and covers said opening to a position where said panel is spaced from said rear wall of said housing and uncovers said opening.

14. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 13, wherein said dry ice storage is removably mounted within said upper slots between said panel and said top wall of said housing, said dry ice storage having a wall being at least partially covered by a mesh screen.

15. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 4, wherein said panel is formed of one of fiberglass and polyethylene with urethane insulation.

17. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 16, in combination with a rack, said rack including first, second, third, and fourth vertical legs, each said vertical leg having a wheel at a lower end thereof, a plurality of horizontal support members connected between said first and second vertical legs, a plurality of horizontal support members connected between said third and fourth vertical legs, a first diagonal member proximate to said wheels for connecting two of said vertical legs together, a second diagonal member distal from said wheels for connecting said second and third vertical legs, and a third diagonal member distal from said wheels for connecting said first and fourth vertical legs, said vertical legs of said rack capable of being positioned within said slots of said lower wall of said housing such that said rack can be positioned within said opening of said housing.

18. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 16, wherein said tray rests on said fan housing, said perforations of said tray being in communication with said opening of said fan housing.

19. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 16, further including supports mounted to said housing, said tray rests on said supports.

20. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 16, wherein each said side wall of said fan housing is angled upwardly and outwardly from said bottom wall of said fan housing.

16. A cabinet cooler comprising:

a housing having a lower wall, a pair of opposite side walls, a rear wall, and a top wall, said walls defining a cavity within said housing;

a pair of slots provided in said lower wall;

a pair of seals mounted to each said slot;

means for covering said opening in said housing;

a plurality of wheels attached to said lower wall of said housing;

a fan housing attached to said rear wall of said housing, said one fan housing having a bottom wall, opposite side walls, and a front wall, said front wall having an aperture provided therethrough, said walls of said fan housing defining an opening;

a fan mounted within said fan housing and being in communication with said opening and said aperture; and

a tray having perforations therethrough, said tray being capable of being mounted proximate to said opening, said tray being capable of supporting dry ice.

21. A cabinet cooler comprising:

a housing having a lower wall, a pair of opposite side walls, a rear wall, and a top wall, said walls defining a cavity within said housing;

means for covering said cavity within said housing;

a fan housing attached to said rear wall of said housing, said fan housing defining an opening at a top end thereof, said fan housing having an aperture therethrough;

a fan mounted within said fan housing, said fan being in communication with said opening and said aperture of said fan housing; and

a tray having perforations therethrough, said tray being capable of being mounted proximate to said opening, said tray being capable of supporting dry ice.

22. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 21, wherein a plurality of fan housings, fans and trays are provided.

23. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 21, wherein said lower wall of said housing has a pair of slots therein.

24. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 23, in combination with a rack, said rack being capable of being positioned within said slots such that said rack can be positioned within said cavity within said housing.

25. The combination as defined in claim 24, wherein said rack includes first, second, third and fourth vertical legs, each said vertical leg having a wheel at a lower end thereof, a plurality of horizontal support members connected between said first and second vertical legs, a plurality of horizontal support members connected between said third and fourth vertical legs, a first diagonal member proximate to said wheels for connecting two of said vertical legs together, a second diagonal member distal from said wheels for connecting said second and third vertical legs, and a third diagonal member distal from said wheels for connecting said first and fourth vertical legs, said vertical legs of said rack capable of being positioned within said slots of said lower wall of said housing such that said rack can be positioned within said opening of said housing.

26. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 23, further including a pair of seals connected to said lower wall of said housing in each said slot.

27. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 21, further including a plurality of wheels attached to said lower wall of said housing.

28. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 21, wherein said covering means is a door hingedly connected to one of said side walls.

29. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 21, wherein said covering means is a plurality of vinyl straps suspended from said top wall of said housing.

30. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 21, wherein said fan housing has a bottom wall, opposite side walls, and a front wall, said front wall having said aperture provided therethrough.

31. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 21, wherein said tray is capable of resting on said fan housing.

32. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 21, further including supports mounted to said housing, said tray rests on said supports.

33. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 21, wherein said perforations in said tray are formed from a mesh screen mounted to said tray.

34. A cabinet cooler as defined in claim 21, wherein each said side wall of said fan housing is angled upwardly and outwardly from said bottom wall of said fan housing.

35. A cabinet cooler comprising:

means for housing a rack;

means for covering said housing means;

means for separating said housing means into a first portion and a second portion;

means for allowing said first portion to communicate with said second portion;

means for storing dry ice;

means for sucking air cooled by said dry ice into said first portion and blowing said cooled air into said second portion; and

means for preventing said sucking means from sucking said cooled air into said first portion.

36. A cabinet cooler comprising:

means for housing a rack;

means for covering said housing means;

means for storing dry ice;

means for supporting said storing means; and

means for sucking air over said dry ice into said supporting means and blowing said air into said housing;

said sucking means being provided within said supporting means.