PORTABLE COOLED MERCHANDIZING UNIT WITH CUSTOMER ENTICEMENT FEATURES

• US 20070193280A1
• Filed: 02/20/2007
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Mills Incorporated
• Original Assignee: General Mills Incorporated
• Inventors: Bedard, Mark, Tuskiewicz, George
• Granted Patent: US 7,934,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/3.6
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0404 Cases or cabinets of the closed type A47F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 17/062 in household refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2400/361 Interactive visual displays
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 29/00 Arrangement or mounting of control or safety devices

Abstract

A portable cooled merchandising unit including a product container assembly, a door assembly, a cooling assembly, a customer enticement device, and a power unit. The product container assembly defines an interior region for containing products. The cooling assembly is connected to the product container assembly and includes a powered cooling device to cool the interior region. The enticement device is adapted to encourage customer interest in the merchandising unit and includes a powered component. The power unit includes a power supply electrically connectable to an external power source, with each of the powered cooling device and the power component of the enticement device being electrically coupled to the power supply. With this configuration, the common power supply serves to power both the cooling assembly as well as the customer enticement device. In some embodiments, the cooling assembly includes a thermoelectric device.

Claims

1. A portable cooled merchandising unit comprising:

a product container assembly defining an interior region for containing products;

a door assembly connected to the product container assembly and including a movable door to permit selective access to the internal region;

a cooling assembly connected to the product container assembly, the cooling assembly including a powered cooling device and configured to cool the interior region;

a first powered customer enticement device maintained relative to the product container assembly and adapted to encourage customer interest in the merchandising unit, the powered customer enticement device including a powered component; and

a power unit maintained relative to the product container assembly and including a power supply electrically connectable to an external power source, wherein each of the powered cooling device and the powered component of the customer enticement device are electrically coupled to the power supply.

2. The portable cooled merchandising unit of claim 1, wherein the powered customer enticement device includes a header assembly having a display panel.

3. The portable cooled merchandising unit of claim 2, wherein the display panel is a lenticular panel.

4. The portable cooled merchandising unit of claim 1, wherein the powered customer enticement device is provided as part of a back panel module.

5. The portable cooled merchandising unit of claim 4, wherein the back panel module includes a display panel selected from the group consisting of an LCD, an OLED, and an electroluminescent light source.

6. The portable cooled merchandising unit of claim 1, wherein the powered customer enticement device includes a plurality of LED light sources visible from an exterior of the merchandising unit.

7. The portable cooled merchandising unit of claim 1, wherein the door assembly includes a transparent window through which the interior region is visible, and further wherein the powered customer enticement device includes a plurality of light sources positioned to illuminate the interior region, each of the light sources being operable to emit red, green, and blue colored light, and further wherein the light emitted by the light sources is visible from an exterior of the merchandising unit via the window.

8. The portable cooled merchandising unit of claim 1, wherein the merchandising unit further comprises a housing within which the product container assembly and the cooling assembly are disposed, the powered customer enticement device including a light source disposed along an exterior of the housing.

9. The portable cooled merchandising unit of claim 1, wherein the powered customer enticement device is configured to emanate a scent from the merchandising unit.

10. The portable cooled merchandising unit of claim 1, wherein the merchandising unit further comprises a housing within which the product container assembly and the cooling assembly are disposed, the housing including a frame, and further wherein the powered customer enticement device includes a side display panel assembled to the frame.

11. The portable cooled merchandizing unit of claim 10, wherein the side display panel is a lenticular display panel.

12. The portable cooled merchandizing unit of claim 10, wherein the powered component of the customer enticement device is a light source positioned behind the side display panel upon final assembly.

13. The portable cooled merchandizing unit of claim 10, wherein the frame includes at least two vertical rails forming opposed slots sized to slidably receive the side display panel.

14. The portable cooled merchandizing unit of claim 1, wherein the powered customer enticement device includes a sound system.

15. The portable cooled merchandizing unit of claim 14, wherein the sound system includes a sensor, a control board and a speaker, the control board programmed to prompt the speaker to generate an audio effect corresponding with product contained in the interior region in response to customer interaction with the sensor.

16. The portable cooled merchandizing unit of claim 1, wherein the door includes first and second transparent panes and a graphics layer positioned between the panes.

17. The portable cooled merchandizing unit of claim 1, wherein the cooling assembly includes a thermoelectric device.

18. The portable cooled merchandising unit of claim 17, wherein the cooling assembly further includes a fan for generating airflow to the thermoelectric device, and further wherein the thermoelectric device, the fan, and the powered component of the customer enticement device are all electrically connected to the common power supply.

19. The portable cooled merchandising unit of claim 18, wherein the merchandising unit includes a housing within which the product container assembly, the cooling assembly, and the common power supply are disposed, the power unit further comprising:

a single power cord extending from the housing for electrical connection to an external power source, the single power cord serving as the only power input to the common power supply.

20. The portable cooled merchandising unit of claim 17, wherein the merchandising unit further comprises:

a housing within which the product container assembly and the cooling assembly are disposed, the housing including a bottom plate defining an air intake opening and an air outlet opening;

a collapsible air chute assembled to the bottom panel about the air outlet opening for directing airflow from the outlet opening in a direction away from the intake opening.

21. A portable cooled merchandising unit comprising:

a product container assembly defining an interior region for containing product;

a door assembly connected to the product container assembly and including a movable door to permit selective access to the interior region;

a cooling assembly connected to the product container assembly, the cooling assembly including a powered cooling device and configured to cool the interior region; and

a housing within which the product container assembly and the cooling assembly are maintained, the housing including;

a plurality of extruded vertical rails each forming a slot,

a plurality of panels, respective ones of which are slidably mounted to a corresponding pair of the rails.

22. A method of displaying consumable products to a customer at a place of business, the method comprising:

providing a portable cooled merchandising unit including;

a product container assembly defining an interior region,

a door assembly connected to the product container assembly and including a movable door to permit selective access to the internal region,

a cooling assembly connected to the product container assembly, the cooling assembly including a powered cooling device and configured to cool the interior region,

a powered customer enticement device associated with the product container assembly and adapted to encourage user interaction with the merchandising unit, the powered customer enticement device including a powered component,

a power unit including a single power cord extending from the merchandising unit and a common power supply electrically connected to the power cord;

moving the merchandising unit to a desired location at the place of business;

electrically connecting the power cord to an electrical outlet;

placing a plurality of products in the interior region;

operating the cooling assembly to cool the products within the interior region; and

operating the customer enticement device to encourage customers to approach the merchandising unit;

wherein operating the cooling assembly and the customer enticement device includes powering the powered cooling device and the powered component of the customer enticement device via the common power supply.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the merchandising unit further includes a housing within which the product container assembly and the cooling assembly are disposed, the housing including a frame slidably maintaining a plurality of panels, the method further comprising:

removing a first one of the panels from the frame; and

slidably mounting a second panel to the frame as a replacement for the first panel.