Open Fronted Cabinet

• US 20150230631A1
• Filed: 11/05/2013
• Published: 08/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Alan Nuttall Partnership Limited
• Original Assignee: Alan Nuttall Limited
• Inventors: Nuttall, Alan, Steele, Michael, Bowles, Robert, Geary, James
• Granted Patent: US 9,462,897 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2220/008 characterised by materials
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 71/00 Cabinets for perishable goods, e.g. meat safes, fly-proof cabinets fruit or potato storage cabinets, racks or trays A47B75/00; ice-boxes, refrigerators F25D
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 81/00 Cabinets or racks specially adapted for other particular purposes, e.g. for storing guns or skis
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/001 Devices for lighting, humidifying, heating, ventilation
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0439 Cases or cabinets of the open type A47F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/0443 with forced air circulation
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 7/0071 for perishable goods
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 36/24 Warming devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 39/003 with forced air circulation
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 3/02 with forced circulation
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/1863 Arrangement or mounting of electric heating means
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect

Abstract

The present invention relates to an open fronted food storage cabinet (10). The cabinet (10) has a top (16), rear (14), base (12) and opposed sides (18,20). The top, rear, base and opposing sides (12,14,16,18,20) define an interior space (22) of the cabinet (10) which is accessible through an opening (24) to the front of the cabinet (10). The opening (24) is defined between edges of the top (16), base (12) and opposing sides (18,20) of the cabinet (10). The cabinet (10) includes an interior chassis structure (26) comprised of a base panel (12a), a rear panel (14a) and a top panel (16a) which are mechanically connected to one another. The base, rear and top panels (12a,14a,16a) are each formed from a structural sandwich composite material (28) having thermal insulation properties. The rear panel (14a) includes an aperture (38) to which a mechanism (40) operable to alter the temperature within interior space (22) of the cabinet (10) is mounted.

Claims

1. An open fronted food storage cabinet having a top, rear, base and opposed sides, the top, rear, base and opposing sides defining an interior space of the cabinet which is accessible through an opening to the front of the cabinet defined between edges of the top, base and opposing sides of the cabinet, wherein the cabinet includes an interior chassis structure comprised of a base panel, a rear panel and a top panel which are mechanically connected to one another, wherein further the base, rear and top panels are each formed from a structural sandwich composite material having thermal insulation properties, and wherein further the rear panel includes an aperture to which a mechanism operable to alter the temperature within interior space of the cabinet is mounted.

2. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 1 wherein the structural sandwich composite material includes an inner core of expanded polymer and outer metal layers.

3. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 2 wherein the expanded polymer is expanded polystyrene.

4. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 2 wherein the expanded polymer is expanded polypropylene.

5. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 2 wherein the outer metal layers are Aluminium alloy.

6. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sides of the cabinet comprise side panels which are mounted to the structural chassis of the cabinet.

7. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 6 when dependent upon claim 2 wherein the side panels are mounted to the structural chassis by fasteners which extend through apertures of the side wall and into fixtures located within the expanded polymer of the chassis.

8. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 6 when dependent upon claim 2 wherein the side panels are mounted to the structural chassis.

9. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 1 wherein the mechanism operable to alter the temperature within interior space of the cabinet is in the form of a cassette which is fittable to and removable from the aperture in the rear panel of the chassis.

10. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 8 wherein the mechanism operable to alter the temperature within interior space of the cabinet is a heating mechanism.

11. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 9 wherein the heating mechanism includes an electric heating element and a fan.

12. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 9 wherein the cabinet includes an additional heating means provided in a lower region of the cabinet interior space.

13. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 11 wherein the additional heating means is a heated floor of the cabinet interior space.

14. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 12 wherein the heated floor comprises a glass ceramic plate and an electrical resistance heater.

15. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 13 wherein the heated floor of the cabinet is operable independently of the fan and heating element heating mechanism.

16. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 8 wherein the mechanism operable to alter the temperature within interior space of the cabinet is a cooling mechanism.

17. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 15 wherein the cooling mechanism includes a refrigeration circuit and a fan.

18. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 15 wherein the cooling mechanism includes a Peltier device and a fan.

20. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 18 wherein the structural sandwich composite material includes an inner core of expanded polymer and outer metal layers.

24. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 18 wherein the sides of the cabinet comprise side panels which are mounted to the structural chassis of the cabinet.

26. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 18 wherein the mechanism operable to alter the temperature within interior space of the cabinet is in the form of a cassette which is fittable to and removable from the aperture in the rear panel of the chassis.

27. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 26 wherein the mechanism operable to alter the temperature within interior space of the cabinet is a heating mechanism.

28. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 27 wherein the heating mechanism includes an electric heating element and a fan.

29. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 26 wherein the cabinet includes an additional heating means provided in a lower region of the cabinet interior space.

30. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 29 wherein the additional heating means is a heated floor of the cabinet interior space.

31. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 30 wherein the heated floor comprises a glass ceramic plate and an electrical resistance heater.

32. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 30 wherein the heated floor of the cabinet is operable independently of the fan and heating element heating mechanism.

33. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 26 wherein the mechanism operable to alter the temperature within interior space of the cabinet is a cooling mechanism.

34. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 33 wherein the cooling mechanism includes a refrigeration circuit and a fan.

35. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 33 wherein the cooling mechanism includes a Peltier device and a fan.

19. An open fronted food storage cabinet having a top, rear, base and opposed sides, the top, rear, base and opposing sides defining an interior space of the cabinet which is accessible through an opening to the front of the cabinet defined between edges of the top base and opposing sides of the cabinet, wherein the cabinet includes an interior chassis structure comprised of a base panel, an upper rear panel, a lower rear panel, a top panel and an intermediate panel which are mechanically connected to one another, the intermediate panel being positioned between the upper and lower rear panels to divide the interior space into an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein further the base, rear, intermediate and top panels are each formed from a structural sandwich composite material having thermal insulation properties, and wherein further at least one of the rear panel includes an aperture to which a mechanism operable to alter the temperature within interior space of the cabinet is mounted.

21. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 19 wherein the expanded polymer is expanded polystyrene.

22. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 19 wherein the expanded polymer is expanded polypropylene.

23. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 19 wherein the outer metal layers are Aluminium alloy.

25. An open fronted food storage cabinet as claimed in claim 24 when dependent upon claim 19 wherein the side panels are mounted to the structural chassis by fasteners which extend through apertures of the side wall and into fixtures located within the expanded polymer of the chassis.