Portable cooled merchandizing unit

• US 20050210884A1
• Filed: 03/22/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Mills Incorporated
• Original Assignee: General Mills Incorporated
• Inventors: Tuskiewicz, George A., Meehan, Thomas, Hersey, Galen, Bedard, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,451,603 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/3.600
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0408 with forced air circulation
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/04 reversible
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2321/0251 by a gas
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/06 by forced circulation
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 21/08 by electric heating
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 21/14 Collecting or removing condensed and defrost water; Drip trays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2317/0651 through the bottom
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2317/0654 through the side
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2317/0661 from the bottom
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2317/0664 from the side
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2321/146 characterised by the pipes or pipe connections
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/00266 through the bottom
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2323/00276 from the bottom
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/10 Refrigerator top-coolers
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/12 Portable refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/38 Refrigerating devices characterised by wheels

Abstract

A portable cooled merchandising unit including a product container assembly and a thermoelectric assembly. The product container assembly includes an interior floor and at least one interior panel extending from the floor and defining a portion of an interior region. An opening to the interior region is defined opposite the floor. A first airflow path is defined along at least a portion of the panel and fluidly connected to the opening. The thermoelectric assembly includes a thermoelectric device connected to a heat sink that is fluidly connected to the airflow path away from the opening. Further, a fan is positioned to circulate air from the thermoelectric device, through the airflow path, and to the opening.

Claims

1. A portable cooled merchandising unit comprising:

a product container assembly including an interior floor for supporting product and at least one interior panel extending from the floor to define a portion of an interior region, the product container assembly further defining an opening to the interior region opposite the floor and a first airflow path extending along at least a portion of an exterior of the panel and fluidly connected to the opening; and

a thermoelectric assembly connected to the product container assembly and including a thermoelectric device, a first heat sink fluidly connected to the first airflow path away from the opening, and a first fan positioned adjacent the first heat sink;

wherein the first fan operates to circulate air from the first heat sink, through the first airflow path, and to the opening.

2. The portable cooled merchandising unit of claim 1, wherein the product container assembly further defines a second airflow path extending opposite the first airflow path, the second airflow path being fluidly connected to the first fan such that the fan operates to draw airflow from the interior region, through the second airflow path, and to the first heat sink.

3. The portable cooled merchandising unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a transition assembly disposed between the product container assembly and the thermoelectric assembly.

4. The portable cooled merchandizing unit of claim 3, wherein the transition assembly is insulated and combines with the product container assembly to form a transition plenum communicating with the first airflow path.

5. The portable cooled merchandising unit of claim 3, further comprising:

a drain tube extending between the transition assembly and a condensate reservoir.

6. The portable cooled merchandising unit of claim 5, further comprising:

a second fan positioned adjacent the condensate reservoir.

7. The portable cooled merchandising unit of claim 1, further comprising a bottom plate defining an air intake opening and an air outlet opening.

8. The portable cooled merchandising unit of claim 7, further comprising:

an air baffle extending downwardly from the bottom between the air intake and air outlet openings.

9. The portable cooled merchandising unit of claim 1, the thermoelectric assembly further includes a second fan adjacent a second heat sink positioned opposite the first heat sink, and further wherein the second fan operates to circulate air across the second heat sink.

10. The portable cooled merchandising unit of claim 1, wherein the product container assembly includes:

an exterior frame defining a first wall face opposite a second wall face; and

an interior container defining the first panel opposite a second panel;

wherein the interior container is disposed within the exterior frame such that the first panel is offset from the first face to form the first airflow path as a first plenum and the second panel is offset from the second face to form a second plenum.

11. The portable cooled merchandizing unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a door assembly attached to a top of the product container assembly, the door assembly including a movable door to permit selective access to the interior region.

12. The portable cooled merchandizing unit of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric device is positioned below the interior floor.

13. The portable cooled merchandizing unit of claim 1, further comprising:

light emitting diodes disposed within the product container assembly.

14. A method of cooling products in a display, the method comprising:

providing a merchandizing unit including an interior container having a floor and a panel combining to form a portion of an interior region, the mechanizing unit forming an airflow path along at least a portion of an exterior of the panel to an opening opposite the floor;

fluidly connecting a first heat sink of a thermoelectric assembly to the airflow path, the first heat sink being coupled to a thermoelectric device;

placing products in the interior region;

powering the thermoelectric device to cool the first heat sink; and

operating a fan to circulate cooled air along the airflow path and over products in the interior region.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein providing a merchandizing unit includes disposing the interior container within an exterior frame, the interior container and the exterior frame combining to define at least a portion of the airflow path.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the thermoelectric assembly further includes a second heat sink opposite the first heat sink, the method further comprising:

operating a second fan to convect heat from the second heat sink such that the thermoelectric device operates as a Peltier Effect device.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

managing condensate generated by the thermoelectric assembly by collecting the condensate in a reservoir.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein managing condensate includes operating a fan to evaporate the condensate in the reservoir.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

controlling power delivered to the thermoelectric device based upon a temperature at the interior container.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

operating a control unit to perform a defrost sequence.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein powering the thermoelectric device includes cooling the first heat sink to a temperature of less than 45°

F.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein powering the thermoelectric device includes cooling the first heat sink to a temperature of not more than 32°

F.