METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING A UNIFORM TEMPERATURE IN A REFRIGERATION SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A method for cooling a food or beverage compartment, the method comprising:
- (a) blowing chilled air through the compartment in a first airflow direction;
(b) after step (a), reversing a rotational direction of fan rotation and blowing chilled air through the compartment in a second airflow direction that is substantially opposite the first airflow direction; and
(c) after step (b), reversing the rotational direction of fan rotation and blowing chilled air through the compartment in the first airflow direction.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A refrigeration apparatus includes an air chiller including a fan, a storage enclosure defining a compartment, and a duct system. The air chiller blows chilled air into the duct system. The compartment has first and second openings, each of which is coupled to the duct system. Chilled air enters the first opening and exits the second opening, and vice versa. In one implementation, the first opening is at the top of the compartment and the second opening is at the bottom of the compartment. A control circuit may periodically cause the fan to change the direction of the chilled air flow. This effectively maintains a relatively uniform temperature throughout the compartment.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for cooling a food or beverage compartment, the method comprising:
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(a) blowing chilled air through the compartment in a first airflow direction; (b) after step (a), reversing a rotational direction of fan rotation and blowing chilled air through the compartment in a second airflow direction that is substantially opposite the first airflow direction; and (c) after step (b), reversing the rotational direction of fan rotation and blowing chilled air through the compartment in the first airflow direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus for cooling food or beverages, the apparatus comprising:
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an air chiller including first and second chiller ports and a fan having forward and reverse settings; a storage enclosure defining a compartment, the storage enclosure having a first opening and a second opening, which permits air to pass between the compartment and the outside of the enclosure; and a duct system coupled to the first and second chiller ports and to the first and second openings, wherein chilled air flows from the first chiller port into the duct system in a first airflow direction when the fan operates in the forward setting, and chilled air flows from the second chiller port into the duct system in a second airflow direction, that is substantially opposite the first airflow direction, when the fan operates in the reverse setting. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for cooling food or beverages, the system comprising:
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an enclosure; a cooling unit that generates chilled air, the cooling unit including a fan having forward and reverse settings; a duct system that transports the chilled air; and a plurality of carts disposed at least partially within the enclosure, each cart of the plurality comprising a compartment, and having a first opening that connects the compartment to the duct system and a second opening that connects the compartment to the duct system, wherein, when the fan is in a forward setting, the chilled air is routed in a first airflow direction into the second opening of each of the plurality of carts and out of the first opening of each of the plurality of carts, and when the fan is in a reverse setting, the chilled air is routed, in a second airflow direction that is substantially opposite to the first airflow direction, into the first opening of each of the plurality of carts and out of the second opening of each of the plurality of carts. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification